Pui
A flower name of Hawaiian origin referring to the Puarangi plant.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Pui. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pui today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pui births was 1975 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pui. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Pui with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pui. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1975
5 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1976 SSA rank
#10,430
Tracked since 1975
Census
Pui in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,201 people with the first name Pui, which placed it at #10,897 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#10,897
National first-name rank
People counted
1.2K
1,201 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
98.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pui
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pui is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.8%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Pui described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Pui at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander98.8% · 1,187
- White0.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 3
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
Popularity
Pui: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Pui by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pui during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Pui
The given name Pui has its origins rooted in Chinese culture, specifically from the Cantonese dialect of the Yue Chinese language. The name can be traced back to the late 19th century and early 20th century during the Qing Dynasty era in China.
Pui is derived from the Cantonese word "pui4," which translates to "gemstone" or "precious stone." This name was often given to children, particularly daughters, as a symbol of their preciousness and value to the family. The name carried connotations of beauty, rarity, and cherished status.
One of the earliest known references to the name Pui can be found in the historical records of the Guangdong province in southern China, where it was a popular name among families in the region. Although not explicitly mentioned in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name's connection to gemstones aligns with the cultural significance of jade and other precious stones in Chinese culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pui. One such person was Pui Man Lok (1879-1967), a prominent Cantonese opera actress and singer who performed in Hong Kong during the early 20th century. Her contributions to the art form earned her recognition and acclaim in the local community.
Another notable figure was Pui O-lun (1904-1995), a Chinese novelist and playwright who wrote works that explored themes of social injustice and human struggle. Her literary works, including the novel "The Bitter Cup," were widely read and influential during her time.
In the field of sports, Pui Ching (born 1953) was a Hong Kong badminton player who represented her country in international competitions, including the Olympics and Asian Games. Her achievements brought pride and recognition to Hong Kong's badminton community.
The name Pui also found its way into the realm of politics with Pui Kwan-kay (1934-2014), a Hong Kong politician and member of the Legislative Council. He played a significant role in shaping policies and advocating for the interests of the people during his tenure.
Lastly, Pui Sai Wo (1954-2019) was a renowned Hong Kong movie producer and screenwriter, known for his contributions to the local film industry. His works often explored themes of social commentary and human experience, earning him critical acclaim and a dedicated following.
People
Pui + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pui as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pui: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pui?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pui going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Pui a common name?
We classify Pui as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pui most popular?
The single biggest year for Pui was 1975, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pui is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Pui in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,201 people with the name Pui, or 0.40 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #10,897 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Pui in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Pui?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Pui on both sides of the split. Of the 1,199 people counted with this name, 258 were male (21.5%) and 941 were female (78.5%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Pui?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pui is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.8%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Pui most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Pui in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.8% (1,187 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pui in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pui a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pui in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Pui still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pui in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pui can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Pui?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.