2000
#5,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,620
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.08
Rare Last name
Lui
A Chinese surname meaning "thunder," or referring to someone from the ancient Chinese state of Lu.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,313 Americans carry the last name Lui. That puts it at #5,277 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,869 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lui 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lui with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 46,869
Census rank
#5,277
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,377 bearers of the surname Lui in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5277th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lui, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lui
The surname "LUI" is of Italian origin, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "lui," which means "he" or "him." This name was likely used as a nickname or a descriptive name for someone who was constantly referring to himself in the third person.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "LUI" can be found in various historical records from northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. It is possible that the name was initially used as a nickname or a distinguishing term for a family or individual before becoming a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest known references to the name "LUI" appears in a 14th-century document from the city of Verona, where a certain "Giovanni Lui" is mentioned as a merchant. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were already established in urban centers and involved in trade and commerce during that period.
In the 15th century, the name "LUI" can be found in the records of the Venetian Republic, where several individuals with this surname held positions of importance. For instance, a certain "Marco Lui" was a prominent member of the Venetian nobility and served as a diplomat during the reign of the Doge Francesco Foscari (1423-1457).
Throughout the centuries, the surname "LUI" has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most famous individuals bearing this name was Girolamo Lui (1497-1576), a renowned Italian architect and engineer who was responsible for the construction of several iconic buildings in Venice, including the Procuratie Nuove in St. Mark's Square.
Another notable figure with the surname "LUI" was Vincenzo Lui (1629-1706), an Italian painter and engraver from Milan who was celebrated for his religious works and portraits. His artwork can be found in numerous churches and galleries across Italy.
In the 19th century, the name "LUI" gained prominence in the field of literature with the Italian poet and writer Alessandro Lui (1811-1879), who was known for his romantic and patriotic works.
Other notable individuals with the surname "LUI" include:
1. Enrico Lui (1888-1967), an Italian politician and statesman who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and held several ministerial positions.
2. Guido Lui (1903-1982), an Italian architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the reconstruction efforts after World War II.
3. Francesca Lui (1923-2018), an Italian actress and film director who gained recognition for her work in the Italian Neorealist cinema movement.
4. Lorenzo Lui (born 1961), an Italian businessman and entrepreneur who founded one of Italy's largest fashion and retail companies.
5. Martina Lui (born 1987), an Italian professional tennis player who has won several singles and doubles titles on the WTA Tour.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lui
Among Census respondents with the surname Lui, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lui 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 Lui surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.6% · 5,653
- White4.7% · 297
- Two or more races4.3% · 272
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 121
- Black or African American0.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lui
Lui 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
#5,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,156
+536 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Up 21 places
2020
#5,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,377
+221 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Up 364 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,662 | 5,620 | 2.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,641 | 6,156 | 2.09 | +536 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 21 places |
| 2020 | #5,277 | 6,377 | 2.13 | +221 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 364 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 Lui 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 | #5,641 | #5,277 | 6.5% |
| Count | 6,156 | 6,377 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.09 | 2.13 | 2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lui bearers went from 6,156 to 6,377 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 364 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,641 to #5,277.
FAQ
Lui surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lui?
Name Census estimates that about 7,313 living Americans carry the surname Lui. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,869 residents.
How common is Lui?
Lui ranks #5,277 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,377 people with the surname Lui. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,313), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lui.
Has Lui become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lui went from 6,156 recorded bearers to 6,377. That is an increase of 221 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,641 to #5,277.
What does the Census say about the background of Lui?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lui, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Lui in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (5,653 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lui appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.6%), White (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Lui (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 Lui mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "thunder," or referring to someone from the ancient Chinese state of Lu. 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 Lui (2.13 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 Americans have the surname Lui?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.