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

Mayi, 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 Mayi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mayi in America

Mayi is the 93125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mayi surname appeared 197 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 Mayi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mayi 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 Mayi

The surname MAYI is believed to have originated in ancient India, with its roots tracing back to the Sanskrit language and the Vedic period (1500 BCE - 600 BCE). The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "maya," which can have various meanings, including "illusion," "magic," or "power."

In the ancient Hindu scriptures, the concept of maya is deeply intertwined with the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. It represents the illusory nature of the material world and the veils that obscure the true, spiritual reality. The name MAYI may have been initially associated with individuals who possessed a deep understanding of these philosophical concepts or were believed to have mystical powers.

The earliest known record of the surname MAYI can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, there are references to several characters bearing variations of the name, such as Mayidevi and Mayisuta.

During the medieval period in India, the name MAYI gained prominence among various noble families and scholarly lineages. One notable figure from this era was Mayikka, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century CE and wrote extensively on the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, a school of Hindu philosophy that emphasizes the unity of the individual soul with the ultimate reality.

As trade and cultural exchanges expanded across Asia, the surname MAYI eventually spread to other regions, including present-day Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Thailand. In Myanmar, the name MAYI became associated with the Bamar ethnic group and can be found in historical records dating back to the Bagan period (11th to 13th centuries CE).

One of the most famous individuals bearing the surname MAYI was Mayi Mya Sein, a prominent Burmese diplomat and politician who served as the Secretary-General of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League during the struggle for Burmese independence from British rule in the 1940s. He played a crucial role in the country's transition to democracy and was born in 1904 and passed away in 1952.

Another notable figure was Mayi Digar, a legendary warrior and chieftain from the Shan States of Myanmar, who lived in the 18th century and led a series of successful military campaigns against rival kingdoms. His exploits have been immortalized in various folk tales and oral traditions of the region.

In Thailand, the surname MAYI can be traced back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom (14th to 18th centuries CE), where it was associated with noble families and scholars. One prominent individual was Mayi Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok, a renowned Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 17th century and made significant contributions to the study and preservation of the Pali Canon, the sacred scriptures of Theravada Buddhism.

While the surname MAYI has its roots in ancient India, it has since spread across various regions and cultures, carrying with it a rich tapestry of historical significance, philosophical associations, and cultural legacies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mayi

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

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

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

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