Jí is the Mandarin pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written 籍 in Chinese character.

Ji is listed 275th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.

[2] According to the Zuo Zhuan and the Song dynasty encyclopedia Tongzhi, the surname Ji 籍 originated from Bo Yan (伯黡), a chief minister of the state of Jin, a major power of the Spring and Autumn period.

Boyan was in charge of government records, and was commonly referred to as Ji Yan (ji 籍 means record).

[3] During the Chu–Han Contention, many people surnamed Ji 籍 changed their surname to Xi 席 because of naming taboo of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, whose given name was Ji 籍.