Yuchi is a Chinese compound surname

Chinese compound surname

A Chinese compound surname is a Chinese surname using more than one character. Many of these surnames derive from noble and official titles, professions, place names and other areas, to serve for a purpose. Some are originally non-Han, while others were created by joining two one-character family...

 which oringinated from a Xianbei

Xianbei

The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...

 trible. The emperial family of Kingdom of Khotan

Kingdom of Khotan

The Kingdom of Khotan was an ancient Buddhist kingdom that was located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim basin. -Early names:-Capital:...

(于阗) was named Yuchi. The well known military general Yuchi Gong also was descented from this family.

Yuchi is the 419th surname in Hundred Family Surnames

Hundred Family Surnames

The Hundred Family Surnames is a classic Chinese text composed of common surnames in ancient China. The book was composed in the early Song Dynasty. It originally contained 411 surnames, but was later expanded to 504. Of these, 444 are single-character surnames, and 60 are double-character surnames...

. Since compound surname is not common in China, some descendants of Yuchi changed their name to single surname Chi(迟).