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

Wei, 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 Wei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wei in America

Wei is the 3707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wei surname appeared 9,578 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Wei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wei 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 Wei

The surname WEI originated in China and can be traced back to the 3rd century AD. It is derived from the Chinese word "wei," meaning "to guard" or "to protect." The name was initially given to individuals who served as guards or protectors in the imperial court or the military.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the WEI surname gained prominence as many military officers and officials bore this name. One notable figure was Wei Zheng (580-643 AD), a prominent statesman and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the Tang court.

In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the WEI surname was also associated with several prominent scholars and literati. For instance, Wei Ying-wu (737-792 AD) was a renowned poet and calligrapher whose works are still widely studied today.

The name WEI can be found in various historical records and manuscripts, including the "Hou Han Shu" (Book of the Later Han), which mentions several individuals with this surname during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD).

As the WEI surname spread across China, it evolved into different variations and spellings, such as Wei, Wey, and Wai. Some of these variations were influenced by local dialects and regional variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WEI surname can be found in the "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian), a monumental historical work compiled by Sima Qian in the 1st century BC. The book mentions several individuals with the WEI surname who held prominent positions during the Qin and Han Dynasties.

Throughout history, there have been many notable figures with the WEI surname. For example, Wei Yuan (1794-1857 AD) was a prominent scholar and statesman during the Qing Dynasty who advocated for institutional reforms and modernization. Wei Lihuang (1842-1931 AD) was a renowned artist and calligrapher whose works are treasured in China and abroad.

In the 20th century, Wei Jingsheng (born 1950) was a prominent Chinese human rights activist and dissident who advocated for democracy and political reforms. Wei Shaochun (1910-1994) was a celebrated Chinese painter and art educator who played a significant role in preserving traditional Chinese painting techniques.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wei

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

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

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

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