2000
#6,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,794
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.78
Uncommon Last name
Mei
A Chinese surname meaning "plum" or referring to the Mei river or places named after it.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,152 Americans carry the last name Mei. That puts it at #3,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mei 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.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,735
Census rank
#3,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,725 bearers of the surname Mei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mei
Among Census respondents with the surname Mei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mei 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 Mei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.5% · 9,089
- White4.7% · 456
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 75
- Two or more races0.7% · 71
- Black or African American0.3% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mei
Mei 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
#4,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,867
+3,073 bearers (+64.1%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Up 2,016 places
2020
#3,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,725
+1,858 bearers (+23.6%)
Per 100,000 3.25
Rank movement Up 932 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,526 | 4,794 | 1.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,510 | 7,867 | 2.67 | +3,073 bearers (+64.1%) | Up 2,016 places |
| 2020 | #3,578 | 9,725 | 3.25 | +1,858 bearers (+23.6%) | Up 932 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 Mei 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 | #4,510 | #3,578 | 20.7% |
| Count | 7,867 | 9,725 | 23.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.67 | 3.25 | 21.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mei bearers went from 7,867 to 9,725 (+23.6% change). The surname moved up 932 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,510 to #3,578.
FAQ
Mei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mei?
Name Census estimates that about 11,152 living Americans carry the surname Mei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,735 residents.
How common is Mei?
Mei ranks #3,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,725 people with the surname Mei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,152), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mei.
Has Mei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mei went from 7,867 recorded bearers to 9,725. That is an increase of 1,858 (+23.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,510 to #3,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Mei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Mei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (9,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.5%), White (4.7%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Mei (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 Mei mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "plum" or referring to the Mei river or places named after it. 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 Mei (3.25 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 Mei?
Want to know how many people have the last name Mei? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.