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

Ni, 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 Ni surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ni in America

Ni is the 7217th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ni surname appeared 4,624 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ni.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ni 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 Ni

The surname "Ni" has its origins in China, where it first emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese character "倪," which was originally used as a clan name in various regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ni" can be found in the "Tōki Wakashū," a historical anthology of Japanese poetry compiled in the early 8th century AD. This work includes poems attributed to individuals with the surname "Ni," suggesting that the name had already gained recognition in East Asia by that time.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the "Ni" surname gained further prominence, with several notable scholars and officials bearing this name. One such individual was Ni Zan (1301-1374), a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher who hailed from the Ni clan of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province.

The "Ni" surname also has a strong association with the city of Huizhou in Anhui Province, where it was particularly prevalent among the local gentry and merchant classes. In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties (16th-17th centuries), several prominent figures with the "Ni" surname emerged from this region, including Ni Yuanlu (1593-1644), a scholar-official who served as a minister in the Ming court.

Another notable individual with the "Ni" surname was Ni Tsan (1301-1374), a famous Chinese painter and calligrapher who was also known by the courtesy name "Yunlin." His works, including landscapes and calligraphic pieces, are highly regarded in Chinese art history.

In more recent times, the "Ni" surname has been carried by several influential figures, such as Ni Zhengyu (1928-2021), a Chinese mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the development of computer science in China, and Ni Kuang (1935-2017), a renowned writer and screenwriter best known for his novels and screenplays depicting life in Shanghai.

While the surname "Ni" has its roots in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals with the "Ni" surname can be found in various countries across Asia, as well as in communities of Chinese descent in other regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ni

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

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

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

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