Find out how popular the last name Ai is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ai.

Ai, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ai in America

Ai is the 36379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ai surname appeared 615 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ai to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ai

The surname "AI" is believed to have originated in China, with records of the name dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The name is thought to be derived from the Chinese word "ai," which means "love" or "affection." It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who were considered to be particularly loving or caring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "AI" can be found in the "Zizhi Tongjian," a famous historical text written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This work mentions an individual named Ai Qing, who lived during the Tang Dynasty and was known for his poetry and literary contributions.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), there were several notable individuals with the surname "AI." One such person was Ai Siqi (1510-1567), a prominent scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of Neo-Confucianism.

In the late 16th century, the "AI" surname also appeared in records from the Ryukyu Kingdom, a maritime nation located in present-day Okinawa, Japan. This suggests that the name may have spread beyond mainland China during this period.

Another notable individual with the surname "AI" was Ai Qing (1910-1996), a renowned Chinese poet and literary figure who played a significant role in the development of modern Chinese literature. His works often explored themes of love, freedom, and social justice.

During the 20th century, the name "AI" gained international recognition with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a field of study and technological development. Although the surname and the abbreviation for artificial intelligence are spelled the same way, they are not directly related in their origins.

It's worth noting that the surname "AI" is relatively uncommon compared to other Chinese surnames, but it has a rich historical lineage that can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ai

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ai.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ai was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ai has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ai was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ai, please contact us.

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