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

Mi, 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 Mi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mi in America

Mi is the 30442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mi surname appeared 767 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 Mi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mi 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 Mi

The surname "Mi" is of Chinese origin and can be traced back to ancient times. It is a single-syllable Chinese surname that is believed to have originated from the state of Chu during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). The name was initially written using Chinese characters that were pronounced as "Mi".

In ancient Chinese records, the name "Mi" can be found in various historical texts and documents. For instance, it is mentioned in the Shiji, a monumental historical account of ancient China written by Sima Qian in the 1st century BC. The Shiji contains references to several individuals with the surname "Mi" who played significant roles in various historical events.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name "Mi" is found in the Bamboo Annals, a ancient Chinese chronicle dating back to the 3rd century BC. The Bamboo Annals mention a person named Mi Xiu, who lived during the Warring States period (475-221 BC) and was a renowned strategist and military advisor.

Throughout Chinese history, the surname "Mi" has been associated with various notable figures. For example, Mi Fu (1051-1107) was a renowned calligrapher and painter during the Song Dynasty. Another prominent individual was Mi Zhi (1629-1700), a scholar-official and philosopher during the Qing Dynasty.

Another famous bearer of the surname was Mi Baozhen (1598-1664), a general and military leader who played a crucial role in the Ming-Qing transition period. He was known for his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and his resistance against the Manchu invaders.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the name "Mi" was also associated with the Mi family, a prominent aristocratic clan that produced several high-ranking officials and scholars. One notable member of this family was Mi Heng (173-198 AD), a renowned philosopher and writer who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

While the surname "Mi" has its roots in ancient China, it has also been adopted by various ethnic minority groups within China, such as the Tujia and Miao people. Over time, the name has spread to other parts of Asia and can be found in countries like Vietnam and Korea, sometimes with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mi

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

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

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

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