2000
#2,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,027
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.46
Uncommon Last name
Mai
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Mai, meaning "apricot" or "plum."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,520 Americans carry the last name Mai. That puts it at #1,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,979 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mai 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 Mai with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,979
Census rank
#1,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,383 bearers of the surname Mai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mai
The surname MAI is believed to have originated in Italy, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "majus," which means "greater" or "larger." This suggests that the name was originally used as a descriptive term for someone who was taller or more prominent in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MAI can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Abbey of Cava in southern Italy. This manuscript, dating back to the late 12th century, mentions a certain "Petrus Mai" who was a landowner in the region.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various Italian city records, including those of Florence and Siena. For example, a merchant named "Giovanni Mai" is mentioned in the Florentine archives of 1268.
As the name spread throughout Italy, it also took on different spellings and variations, such as "Maio," "Maius," and "Majo." These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and pronunciation patterns.
One notable individual with the surname MAI was Girolamo Mai, an Italian scholar and cardinal who lived from 1782 to 1838. He is best known for his work in discovering and publishing lost works of classical literature, including fragments of Cicero's "De Re Publica" and portions of Plautus' comedies.
Another prominent figure was Angelo Mai, an Italian philologist and cardinal who lived from 1782 to 1854. He was a prolific scholar and editor, renowned for his work on uncovering and publishing ancient manuscripts, including previously unknown works by Cicero, Fronto, and others.
In the 19th century, the surname MAI also appeared in other parts of Europe, such as France and Germany. For example, a French artist named Charles Mai (1796-1866) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and etchings.
Moving into the 20th century, one notable individual with the surname MAI was Nguyen Xuan Mai, a Vietnamese military officer and politician who lived from 1892 to 1977. He played a significant role in the Vietnamese independence movement against French colonial rule.
Another notable figure was Walter Mai, a German aviator and engineer who lived from 1920 to 1945. He was instrumental in the development of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, one of the earliest rocket-powered fighter aircraft used during World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mai
Among Census respondents with the surname Mai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mai 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 Mai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.3% · 18,885
- White8.2% · 1,754
- Two or more races1.9% · 405
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 224
- Black or African American0.4% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mai
Mai 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
#2,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,445
+5,418 bearers (+45.0%)
Per 100,000 5.91
Rank movement Up 677 places
2020
#1,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,383
+3,938 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 7.15
Rank movement Up 445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,752 | 12,027 | 4.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,075 | 17,445 | 5.91 | +5,418 bearers (+45.0%) | Up 677 places |
| 2020 | #1,630 | 21,383 | 7.15 | +3,938 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 445 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 Mai 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 | #2,075 | #1,630 | 21.4% |
| Count | 17,445 | 21,383 | 22.6% |
| Per 100K | 5.91 | 7.15 | 21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mai bearers went from 17,445 to 21,383 (+22.6% change). The surname moved up 445 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,075 to #1,630.
FAQ
Mai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mai?
Name Census estimates that about 24,520 living Americans carry the surname Mai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,979 residents.
How common is Mai?
Mai ranks #1,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,383 people with the surname Mai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,520), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Mai.
Has Mai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mai went from 17,445 recorded bearers to 21,383. That is an increase of 3,938 (+22.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,075 to #1,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Mai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Mai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (18,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.3%), White (8.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Mai (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 Mai mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Mai, meaning "apricot" or "plum." 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 Mai (7.15 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 have the last name Mai?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Mai at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.