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

Kai, 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 Kai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kai in America

Kai is the 21830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kai surname appeared 1,191 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 Kai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kai 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 Kai

The surname "KAI" is believed to have originated in China, specifically in the southern regions of the country. It can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it was associated with a particular clan or lineage. The name itself is derived from the Chinese character "凯," which means "victory" or "triumph."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "KAI" appears in ancient Chinese manuscripts from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). These documents mention individuals bearing this name, suggesting its prominence during that era. Additionally, there are references to the name in local histories and genealogical records from various regions of southern China.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname "KAI" gained further recognition. Several notable figures with this last name emerged, including Kai Yuanzhi (1552-1625 AD), a renowned scholar and poet from Zhejiang Province. His literary works and contributions to the development of Chinese literature have been widely celebrated.

Another prominent figure was Kai Feng (1622-1683 AD), a military general and strategist who played a significant role in defending the Ming Dynasty against the Manchu invasion. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him great respect and admiration among his contemporaries.

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the surname "KAI" continued to be prevalent. One noteworthy individual was Kai Yuanpeng (1766-1841 AD), a skilled calligrapher and artist from Guangdong Province. His exquisite works have been preserved and exhibited in various museums and collections.

Moving into the modern era, the surname "KAI" has been associated with several influential figures. One example is Kai Yuanzhang (1887-1966 AD), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in China during the early 20th century. Her efforts contributed significantly to the advancement of education and gender equality.

It is worth noting that the surname "KAI" has also been found in various place names and ancient village names across southern China. For instance, the village of Kaizhou (凯州) in Guangdong Province and the historical town of Kaiping (开平) in the same region bear this name, reflecting its deep roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kai

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

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

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

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