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

Choi, 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 Choi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Choi in America

Choi is the 674th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Choi surname appeared 50,786 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Choi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Choi 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 Choi

The surname "CHOI" is of Korean origin and can be traced back to the 7th century AD during the Silla Dynasty. It is believed to have originated from the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje, which was located in the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula. The name is derived from the Korean word "choe," which means "flourishing" or "prosperous."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "CHOI" can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, written in the 12th century. The book mentions a powerful noble family called "Choi" who played a significant role in the political affairs of the Silla Kingdom.

During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the Choi family continued to hold prominent positions in the royal court and government. One notable figure from this period was Choi Seung-ro (1025-1076), a renowned scholar and politician who served as the Prime Minister during the reign of King Munjong.

In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the Choi surname remained influential, with several members holding high-ranking positions in the government and military. Choi Ik-hyon (1833-1906) was a prominent scholar and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating treaties with Western powers during the late 19th century.

Another notable figure with the surname "CHOI" was Choi Chi-won (1539-1612), a prominent Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Korean Confucianism during the 16th century.

The Choi surname can also be found in various place names across Korea, such as Choi-ri (a village in Gyeongsangbuk-do province) and Choi-myeon (a township in Gangwon-do province). These place names often derive from the presence of Choi families in those regions.

Throughout history, the Choi surname has been associated with several influential figures in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. Some other notable individuals with the surname "CHOI" include Choi Museon (1337-1416), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher; Choi Seung-hee (1911-1968), a celebrated novelist and poet; and Choi Yeong-sin (1932-2017), a renowned sculptor and ceramist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Choi

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

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 Choi 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 Choi 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 Choi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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