2000
#56,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Rare Last name
Ai
Derived from the Chinese surname Ai, meaning "mugwort" or "artemisia," a genus of aromatic flowering plants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,149 Americans carry the last name Ai. That puts it at #25,766 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 298,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ai surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 298,307
Census rank
#25,766
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,002 bearers of the surname Ai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25766th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ai
Among Census respondents with the surname Ai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ai bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.4% · 876
- White4.1% · 41
- Two or more races3.5% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 26
- Black or African American2.2% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ai
Ai appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#36,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 615
+278 bearers (+82.5%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 20,308 places
2020
#25,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,002
+387 bearers (+62.9%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 10,613 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,687 | 337 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,379 | 615 | 0.21 | +278 bearers (+82.5%) | Up 20,308 places |
| 2020 | #25,766 | 1,002 | 0.34 | +387 bearers (+62.9%) | Up 10,613 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ai surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36,379 | #25,766 | 29.2% |
| Count | 615 | 1,002 | 62.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.34 | 59.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ai bearers went from 615 to 1,002 (+62.9% change). The surname moved up 10,613 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,379 to #25,766.
FAQ
Ai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ai?
Name Census estimates that about 1,149 living Americans carry the surname Ai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 298,307 residents.
How common is Ai?
Ai ranks #25,766 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,002 people with the surname Ai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ai.
Has Ai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ai went from 615 recorded bearers to 1,002. That is an increase of 387 (+62.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #36,379 to #25,766.
What does the Census say about the background of Ai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (876 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.4%), White (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ai (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ai mean?
Derived from the Chinese surname Ai, meaning "mugwort" or "artemisia," a genus of aromatic flowering plants. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ai (0.34 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ai?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.