2000
#5,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,037
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Uncommon Last name
Wei
A Chinese surname meaning "great," "big," "vast," "deep," or "high," originating from a state in ancient China.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,732 Americans carry the last name Wei. That puts it at #2,425 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,485 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wei 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wei with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,485
Census rank
#2,425
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,591 bearers of the surname Wei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2425th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wei
Among Census respondents with the surname Wei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wei 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 Wei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.8% · 13,833
- White2.8% · 408
- Two or more races1.4% · 202
- Black or African American0.6% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wei
Wei 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
#3,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,578
+3,541 bearers (+58.7%)
Per 100,000 3.25
Rank movement Up 1,603 places
2020
#2,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,591
+5,013 bearers (+52.3%)
Per 100,000 4.88
Rank movement Up 1,282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,310 | 6,037 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,707 | 9,578 | 3.25 | +3,541 bearers (+58.7%) | Up 1,603 places |
| 2020 | #2,425 | 14,591 | 4.88 | +5,013 bearers (+52.3%) | Up 1,282 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 Wei 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 | #3,707 | #2,425 | 34.6% |
| Count | 9,578 | 14,591 | 52.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.25 | 4.88 | 50.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wei bearers went from 9,578 to 14,591 (+52.3% change). The surname moved up 1,282 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,707 to #2,425.
FAQ
Wei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wei?
Name Census estimates that about 16,732 living Americans carry the surname Wei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,485 residents.
How common is Wei?
Wei ranks #2,425 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,591 people with the surname Wei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,732), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Wei.
Has Wei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wei went from 9,578 recorded bearers to 14,591. That is an increase of 5,013 (+52.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,707 to #2,425.
What does the Census say about the background of Wei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) 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 Wei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (13,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.8%), White (2.8%), 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 Wei (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 Wei mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "great," "big," "vast," "deep," or "high," originating from a state in ancient China. 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 Wei (4.88 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 Wei?
You can see how many people have the last name Wei on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.