Yi surname is ranked 239th in the "Hundred Surnames". It is outside the top 300 surnames by population in the country in 2007.

Some famous people with the Yi surname in history

Yi Yin: A minister of the Shang Dynasty and the ancestor of the Yi surname. He assisted Tang of Shang, helped to overthrow Xia, managed state affairs, served three generations of kings, and was a famous virtuous statesman in ancient times.

Yi Zhi: A famous minister of Taiwu of the Shang dynasty, son of Yi Yin. Taiwu followed his advice and cultivated virtue. Yi Heng: A lesser director of the Office of the Imperial Treasure in the Ming dynasty, from Wu County. He was humble and respectful, and was called a respected elder at the time.

Yi Pingsheng: A general of the Northern Wei dynasty, brave and resourceful. He initially served as a commander, accumulated military achievements, and became a renowned general. He was granted the title of Pingchengzi and eventually reached the position of Commander of the Western Route.

Yi Bingshou: A calligrapher of the Qing dynasty and a Jinshi (imperial scholar) of the Qianlong era. His courtesy name was Zushì, and his pseudonym was Mòqīng. He was from Ninghua, Fujian. He served as the magistrate of Yangzhou. He was praised by He Shaozhi for his calligraphy: "The master's seal script comes from two styles of ancient scripts, ink like lacquer and paper like bamboo. His cursive and running scripts do not follow the methods after the Tang dynasty, like moss growing on a cliff." He had a collection of poems titled "The Poems of the Spring of the Garden." Song Xiang, an official of the Qing dynasty and Jinshi of the Jiaqing era, gave a couplet to Yi Bingshou: "The phoenix returns to the blue sky after flying over the four seas; The crane roosts among the three islands connected to the azure clouds."

Yi Zhi: A minister during the reign of Taiwu of the Shang dynasty. Son of Yi Yin. Together with Chen Hu and Wu Xian, he assisted Taiwu in governing the country. It is said that in Hao (now southeast of Caoxian, Shandong), a strange mulberry tree and a grain plant grew together in the court. One night, they suddenly grew very large. Taiwu was frightened, and Yi Zhi said, "Evil cannot overcome virtue. Is the king's governance lacking anything?" Taiwu followed his advice and cultivated virtue, and the strange trees withered and died. At that time, the feudal lords returned to the Yin dynasty.

Yi Ji: A minister of the Three Kingdoms period in the Shu Han. His courtesy name was Jibo, and he was from Nanyang, Jingzhou. As a young man, he attached himself to his fellow townsman Liu Biao. When Liu Bei was in difficulty in Jingzhou, Yi Ji often visited him and asked Liu Bei to take care of him. After Liu Biao died, Yi Ji switched allegiance to Liu Bei and went south with him. Later, he accompanied Liu Bei into Shu, and when Liu Bei established Yizhou, Yi Ji served as a chief assistant to the Left General, ranking below Jian Yong and Sun Gan. Later, he was promoted to the position of Minister of Literary Affairs and worked with Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, Liu Ba, and Li Yan to compile the "Shu Code."

Yi Fu: (?-453), a general of the Northern Dynasties' Northern Wei dynasty. He was from Dai (now Dai County, Shanxi). As a youth, he was brave and strong, could run faster than a galloping horse, was skilled in archery and shooting, and could pull a cow with his strength. In the early years of Shenjia, he was promoted to a palace attendant. When Taiwu campaigned against Liangzhou, Yu Fu participated in the decision-making and joined the campaign to Gucang. He was rewarded with the position of Secretary of the Imperial Records and granted the title of Duke of Henan. Later, he reached the position of Chancellor and died in office.

Yi Pingsheng: A general of the Northern Wei dynasty. Son of Yu Fu. Initially serving as a commander, he accumulated military achievements. During the reign of Emperor Ming, he successively held positions as Governor of Luozhou, Commander of the Western Route, and Acting Governor of Qizhou. He was a renowned general of the time. He served as Commander of the Western Route and died in battle.

Yi Shen: (?-811), a general of the Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Guahui, and he was from Yuanzhou (now Ziyang, Shandong). He was selected as a bowman due to his skill in archery, later becoming a major general and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Nanchong. In the late Zhenyuan era, he reached the position of Commander of the Fengyi Circuit, was appointed as the Acting Right Minister, and also served as the Chief of the Right Guard. His posthumous title was "Zhuangmou." He was both martial and scholarly, proficient in writing and calligraphy, and developed his own unique style.

Yi Guang: An official of the Tang dynasty. During the Zhonghe period, he served as the governor of Xin Prefecture. Due to the chaos across the country, he turned to Li Keyong. He also served as the governor of Fen Prefecture. He frequently participated in planning military strategies, communicated with various regional warlords, and was considered competent. He was gradually promoted to the position of Acting Director of the Ministry of Rites. During the Gaoning period, he participated in the campaign against Liu Renzeng and died in the Cheng'an Camp.

Famous people with the Yi surname

Yi Yi, Yi Nengjing, etc.