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

Pei, 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 Pei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pei in America

Pei is the 21940th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pei surname appeared 1,183 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 Pei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pei 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 Pei

The surname Pei originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "pei," which means "to accompany" or "to escort." The name was initially associated with individuals who served as escorts or guides for important officials or travelers.

In ancient Chinese records, the earliest known mention of the surname Pei can be found in the Book of Tang, a historical text compiled in the 10th century. This document includes accounts of several notable figures bearing the Pei surname, such as Pei Xiu, a renowned poet and calligrapher who lived during the 9th century.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Pei family gained prominence in the Jiangsu province, particularly in the city of Suzhou. Several historical documents from this period, including local gazetteers, mention the Pei clan's influence in the region. One notable figure was Pei Shaozhi (1057-1135), a scholar and government official who served during the Northern Song Dynasty.

In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), the Pei surname was also found in the Shandong province. One notable individual from this era was Pei Xiu (1274-1339), a renowned painter and calligrapher who hailed from Shandong.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Pei surname spread to other regions of China. One prominent figure was Pei Wenzhong (1568-1628), a military leader and strategist who played a significant role in the defense of the Ming Empire against the Manchu invasion.

In more recent history, the Pei surname has been associated with several notable figures, including Pei Mingxin (1819-1859), a scholar and reformer during the Qing Dynasty, and Pei Chuanxin (1850-1919), a prominent educator and writer who advocated for modern education in China.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Pei surname is Ieoh Ming Pei (1917-2019), a world-renowned architect known for his iconic designs, such as the Louvre Pyramid in Paris and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. His exceptional contributions to architecture have earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1983.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pei

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

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

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

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