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

Pai, 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 Pai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pai in America

Pai is the 14082nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pai surname appeared 2,136 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pai 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 Pai

The surname Pai is believed to have originated in China, tracing its roots back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is thought to be derived from the Chinese word "pai," which means a flat piece of wood, a board, or a plank. This may suggest that the name could have initially been associated with occupations related to woodworking or carpentry.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Pai surname was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Historical records from this era, such as local gazetteers, mention Pai as a common surname in these areas. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Pai Shu (1246-1313 AD), a renowned scholar and poet from Fujian.

In the 17th century, the Pai surname appears to have spread to other parts of China, including Jiangxi and Hunan provinces. This may have been due to migration patterns or the establishment of new settlements during this time period. One notable figure from this era was Pai Xingsheng (1633-1690 AD), a prominent Confucian scholar and philosopher from Jiangxi.

As the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD) unfolded, the Pai surname continued to be well-represented among the educated elite and literary circles. For instance, Pai Zhongge (1786-1851 AD) was a respected poet and calligrapher from Guangdong, while Pai Yuerui (1828-1898 AD) was a renowned scholar and author from Hunan.

Beyond China, the Pai surname has also been documented in other parts of Asia, such as Taiwan and Singapore, likely due to migration patterns in more recent centuries. One prominent figure with this name was Pai Hsien-yung (1937-2023 AD), a Taiwanese writer and literary critic who gained international recognition for his works exploring Chinese culture and identity.

It's worth noting that variations in spelling and pronunciation of the Pai surname may exist across different regions and dialects, such as Bai or Pei. Additionally, there may have been historical instances of the surname being associated with specific locations or place names, although documented evidence of such connections is limited.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pai

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

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

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

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