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

Lei, 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 Lei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lei in America

Lei is the 4726th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lei surname appeared 7,504 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lei 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 Lei

The surname "LEI" is believed to have originated in China, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is thought to be derived from the Chinese word "lei," which means "thunder" or "lightning." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by families or individuals who lived in areas prone to thunderstorms or had some connection to the natural phenomenon.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the name "LEI" appeared in several historical records and manuscripts, indicating its widespread use among the Chinese population. One notable example is the "Xin Tang Shu," a historical text compiled in the 11th century, which mentions several individuals with the surname "LEI."

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the name "LEI" was recorded in various official documents, such as the "Ming Shi," a comprehensive history of the Ming Dynasty. This suggests that the name had gained prominence and was associated with influential families or individuals during this period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "LEI" was Lei Ying (448-501 AD), a renowned calligrapher and scholar during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. Another notable figure was Lei Huan (590-664 AD), a prominent general and statesman who served under the Tang Dynasty.

During the Song Dynasty, Lei Yuanjing (1022-1102 AD) was a celebrated poet and scholar who made significant contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism. In the Ming Dynasty, Lei Xingxing (1487-1516 AD) was a famous military strategist and author of the influential work "Shuang Shou Zhi Yao" (Essential Tactics for Two-Handed Combat).

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), Lei Tingzhang (1792-1865 AD) was a prominent scholar and calligrapher who served as an official in the imperial court. His calligraphic works are highly regarded and can be found in many museums and collections around the world.

Throughout history, the surname "LEI" has been associated with various place names and locations in China. For instance, Leishan County in Guizhou Province is named after the Lei family, who were influential landowners in the area during ancient times. Additionally, the name has undergone minor spelling variations, such as "Li" or "Lay," due to different romanization systems or regional dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lei

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

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

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

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