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Qi

chee /tʃi/ Chinese Mandarin

At a glance

In short
Qi is a unisex name of Chinese origin, pronounced "chee" in English.
U.S. rank 2025 (boys)
Not in the 2025 data · last seen 2018 (#12,156)
Babies in 2018 (boys)
5 (<0.01% of boys)
As a girl name
Last recorded 2015 (#16,419)
Peak (boys)
#8,456 in 2002
First recorded
2000 (as a boy name; 2007 as a girl name)

Meaning of Qi

Qi is a unisex name of Chinese Mandarin origin. This name has no known variations. In the United States of America, Qi has been given to a small number of newborns in recent years. In 2018, it was given to 5 babies and ranked 12,141 in popularity. The name Qi carries a unique and exotic quality, making it an intriguing choice for parents looking for something distinctive for their child.

How to pronounce Qi

Chinese Mandarin

Popularity of Qi in the U.S.

Qi was last recorded in the U.S. in 2018, ranked #12,156 with 5 babies. It peaked at #8,456 in 2002. It first appears in the records in 2000. As a girl name it was last recorded in 2015, at #16,419.

Bar and line chart: Qi in the U.S., 2000–2018. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 7 in 2002 and 5 in 2018. Line: rank among boy names, peak #8,456 in 2002, #12,156 in 2018.
  • Boys named Qi (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 2000–2018. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Boys year by year, 2000⁠–⁠2018 5 rows
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2018512,156back
2016512,185back
2003510,894▼ 2,438
200278,456back
200069,112new
Girls year by year, 2007⁠–⁠2015 2 rows
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2015516,419back
2007517,636new

Notable people named Qi

  • Qi Baishi was a self-taught Chinese painter known for his whimsical, playful artwork.
  • Qi Jiguang was a celebrated Ming dynasty general and writer who defended China against pirates and strengthened the Great Wall.
  • Qi Qi is a Chinese artistic gymnast celebrated for her national and Asian championship titles in vault and floor exercise.
  • Qi Yuwu is a Chinese actor based in Singapore and signed to Beijing Enlight Media Group.
  • Qi Lili is a Chinese former volleyball player and coach who played for the Chinese women's national team.