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

Mei, 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 Mei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mei in America

Mei is the 4510th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mei surname appeared 7,867 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 Mei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mei 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 Mei

The surname MEI originated in China, with its roots traced back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Chinese word "mei," which means "beautiful" or "plum blossom." The name was initially used as a given name before evolving into a surname.

MEI first appeared in ancient Chinese records and manuscripts during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420-589 AD). It was often associated with scholars, poets, and artists who drew inspiration from the beauty of nature and the elegance of the plum blossom.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MEI can be found in the "Book of Tang," a historical text compiled in the 10th century AD. It mentions a prominent scholar named Mei Yaochen (616-683 AD), who served as a high-ranking official during the Tang Dynasty.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname MEI gained further prominence. A notable figure from this period was Mei Yingzuo (1002-1060 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher whose works were widely celebrated for their artistic merit.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the MEI surname was associated with several influential individuals. One such person was Mei Zhaoting (1519-1594 AD), a respected scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism.

The name MEI also has connections to various place names in China. For instance, Meizhou, a city in Guangdong Province, was named after a prominent MEI family that settled in the area during the Tang Dynasty.

Other notable individuals with the surname MEI include Mei Lanfang (1894-1961 AD), a celebrated Peking opera performer renowned for his portrayal of female roles, and Mei Renyu (1573-1624 AD), a renowned author and playwright during the late Ming Dynasty.

While the surname MEI originated in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Chinese diaspora communities. However, its deep roots and rich history remain firmly connected to its Chinese heritage and the enduring symbolism of the plum blossom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mei

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

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

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

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