One of the ancient ancestral names, Ji is an uncommon surname today.

It is not listed in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.

[1] Ji 己 is one of the eight surnames of Zhu Rong, related to the Mi clan, which founded Chu, a major state during the Zhou dynasty.

[2] Scholar Li Xuanbo believes that the name originates from the clan's totem of snake.

[3] During the Zhou dynasty, branches of the Ji 己 clan established the minor states of Ju, Tan (郯), and Wen (温).