Yi
Yi is a short surname with several possible East Asian origins, most commonly associated with Korean and Chinese family names.
The #2,011 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,216 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Yi can represent more than one surname tradition in East Asia. In Korean, Yi is the usual Romanization of the royal surname 李, historically pronounced and often written in English as Lee or Rhee; the character means “plum.” In Chinese, Yi may also reflect different surnames depending on the characters used, including forms romanized as Yi in pinyin or other systems, so the English spelling alone does not identify a single origin.
History
As a Romanized surname, Yi became especially visible in English through Korean immigration and through Chinese diaspora communities using different romanization systems. Because the same spelling can represent multiple characters and lineages, it is common in records to need the original script to determine the exact family history. In Korean-American contexts, Yi is often part of older spellings of the surname 李, alongside Lee, Rhee, and related forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Korean history, the surname 李 was borne by the Joseon royal house, which helped make it one of the most prominent Korean surnames.