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

Ooi, 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 Ooi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ooi in America

Ooi is the 45189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ooi surname appeared 474 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 Ooi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ooi 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 Ooi

The surname Ooi is of Chinese origin, derived from the Hokkien dialect spoken in the Fujian province of southeastern China. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty.

The name Ooi is thought to be a romanization of the Hokkien word 'Oei', which means 'black' or 'dark'. It is believed that the name may have been given to families or individuals who had a darker complexion or perhaps lived in an area known for its dark soil or dense foliage.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Ooi surname can be found in the Qing Dynasty genealogical records, which date back to the 17th century. These records document the Ooi family's origins and lineage in the Fujian province.

In the 19th century, the Ooi surname began to appear more frequently in historical records as many Chinese immigrants from Fujian settled in various parts of Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore. One notable individual was Ooi Tiang Tan (1833-1900), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of Penang, Malaysia.

Another prominent figure with the Ooi surname was Ooi Chee Kee (1889-1963), a Malaysian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Straits Settlements Legislative Council in the early 20th century.

In more recent times, Ooi Kee Beng (born 1955) is a renowned Malaysian academic and author who has written extensively on Southeast Asian history and culture.

The Ooi surname has also been associated with various place names in Malaysia and Singapore, such as Ooi Lye Terrace in Penang and Ooi Chee Kee Road in Johor Bahru.

Other notable individuals with the Ooi surname include Ooi Chuan Hian (1860-1925), a prominent Singaporean businessman and community leader, and Ooi Keat Gin (1850-1919), a wealthy Chinese merchant and landowner in Penang.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ooi

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

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

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

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