2000
#30,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 724
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Rare Last name
Pei
A Cantonese surname meaning "branch" or "twig".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,065 Americans carry the last name Pei. That puts it at #15,619 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,983 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pei surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 165,983
Census rank
#15,619
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,801 bearers of the surname Pei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15619th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 Several historical documents from this period, including local gazetteers, mention the Pei clan's influence in the region.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pei
Among Census respondents with the surname Pei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pei bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.8% · 1,689
- White3.4% · 62
- Two or more races1.4% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pei
Pei appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#21,940
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,183
+459 bearers (+63.4%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 8,503 places
2020
#15,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,801
+618 bearers (+52.2%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 6,321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,443 | 724 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,940 | 1,183 | 0.40 | +459 bearers (+63.4%) | Up 8,503 places |
| 2020 | #15,619 | 1,801 | 0.60 | +618 bearers (+52.2%) | Up 6,321 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pei surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,940 | #15,619 | 28.8% |
| Count | 1,183 | 1,801 | 52.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.60 | 50.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pei bearers went from 1,183 to 1,801 (+52.2% change). The surname moved up 6,321 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,940 to #15,619.
FAQ
Pei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pei?
Name Census estimates that about 2,065 living Americans carry the surname Pei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,983 residents.
How common is Pei?
Pei ranks #15,619 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,801 people with the surname Pei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pei.
Has Pei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pei went from 1,183 recorded bearers to 1,801. That is an increase of 618 (+52.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,940 to #15,619.
What does the Census say about the background of Pei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,689 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.8%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pei (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pei mean?
A Cantonese surname meaning "branch" or "twig". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pei (0.60 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Pei?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.