2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pelekai
A Hawaiian name originating from pele (volcanic fire, lava) and kai (sea, ocean).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Pelekai. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelekai 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Pelekai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelekai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (20.6%) and Hispanic (17.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelekai
The surname PELEKAI is believed to have originated in the Hawaiian Islands during the late 18th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian words "pele," meaning volcano or lava, and "kai," meaning ocean or sea. The name is thought to have been given to those who lived near the volcanic activity on the islands, particularly along the coastal regions where the lava met the sea.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PELEKAI surname can be found in the journals of Captain James Cook, who visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. He documented encountering a group of native Hawaiians who referred to themselves as the "Pelekai" people, indicating their close connection to the volcanic landscapes and coastal areas.
In the early 19th century, the PELEKAI name appeared in Hawaiian land records and genealogical accounts, further solidifying its presence in the islands. Some notable individuals bearing the PELEKAI surname during this time include Kamehameha III (1813-1854), the third monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, who had a close advisor named Keawe PELEKAI.
Another prominent figure with the PELEKAI surname was Kalani PELEKAI (1835-1891), a renowned Hawaiian scholar and historian who wrote extensively about the ancient traditions and customs of the Hawaiian people. His works served as invaluable resources for preserving the cultural heritage of the islands.
During the late 19th century, the PELEKAI name began to spread beyond the Hawaiian Islands as families migrated to other parts of the world. One notable individual was Kealii PELEKAI (1870-1942), a Hawaiian businessman who established successful trading operations in California and played a significant role in promoting cultural exchange between Hawaii and the mainland United States.
In the early 20th century, the PELEKAI surname gained recognition in the field of arts and literature. Lili'u PELEKAI (1905-1987) was a celebrated Hawaiian poet and author whose works captured the essence of the islands' natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.
Throughout its history, the PELEKAI surname has remained closely tied to its Hawaiian origins, reflecting the deep connection between the people and the volcanic landscapes that have shaped the islands' unique identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelekai
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelekai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (20.6%) and Hispanic (17.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelekai 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 Pelekai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.0% · 53
- Two or more races20.6% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino17.6% · 18
- White8.8% · 9
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelekai
Pelekai 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,793 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 21,793 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 152 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 Pelekai 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 | #154,907 | #154,755 | 0.1% |
| Count | 105 | 102 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelekai bearers went from 105 to 102 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,755.
FAQ
Pelekai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelekai?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Pelekai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Pelekai?
Pelekai ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Pelekai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pelekai.
Has Pelekai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelekai went from 105 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelekai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelekai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (20.6%) and Hispanic (17.6%). 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 Pelekai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.0% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelekai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.0%), Two or More Races (20.6%), Hispanic (17.6%). 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 Pelekai (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 Pelekai mean?
A Hawaiian name originating from pele (volcanic fire, lava) and kai (sea, ocean). 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 Pelekai (0.03 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 people have the last name Pelekai?
You can see how many people are called Pelekai on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.