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

Tsai, 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 Tsai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tsai in America

Tsai is the 3291st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tsai surname appeared 10,968 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Tsai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tsai 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 Tsai

The surname "TSAI" is of Chinese origin and can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in China. It is derived from the ancient Chinese word "cài" which means "vegetable" or "plant." During this period, the name was primarily used as a surname by families who were involved in agriculture or the cultivation of crops.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "TSAI" can be found in the genealogical records of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). These records document a family with the surname "TSAI" residing in the Zhejiang province of China. The name was also prevalent in other regions such as Guangdong and Fujian, where many families with the surname "TSAI" were engaged in farming and agriculture.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname "TSAI" gained prominence and was associated with several notable figures. One such figure was Tsai Lun (63-121 AD), who is credited with inventing paper and the papermaking process. Tsai Lun's contributions played a significant role in the development of written communication and the spread of knowledge in ancient China.

Another prominent individual with the surname "TSAI" was Tsai Ying-wen (born in 1956), who served as the President of Taiwan from 2016 to 2020. She was the first woman to hold the office of the President in Taiwan and played a crucial role in promoting democracy and human rights in the country.

In the field of literature, Tsai Chih-chung (1601-1676) was a renowned Chinese playwright and novelist during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His works, such as the novel "The Dream of the Red Chamber," are considered classics of Chinese literature and have been widely studied and celebrated.

Another notable figure with the surname "TSAI" was Tsai Ting-kan (1669-1738), a Chinese landscape painter and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty. His paintings and calligraphic works were highly acclaimed and are showcased in various art museums and collections around the world.

The surname "TSAI" has also been associated with various place names and locations in China, such as the Tsai River in Sichuan province and the Tsai Village in Guangdong province. These places were often named after prominent families or individuals with the surname "TSAI" who resided in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tsai

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!