2000
#2,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,254
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.65
Uncommon Last name
Yi
A Chinese surname meaning "yi" (justice, righteousness, meaning) or referring to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,916 Americans carry the last name Yi. That puts it at #1,844 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,639 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yi 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 Yi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,639
Census rank
#1,844
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,112 bearers of the surname Yi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1844th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yi
Yi is a Chinese surname that originated from China. The name can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, which ruled from around 1600 BC to 1046 BC. It was originally a clan name derived from the ancient state of Yi, located in present-day Shandong Province.
The name Yi has been associated with several notable figures throughout Chinese history. One of the earliest recorded instances is Yi Yin, a wise minister who served under the Shang Dynasty ruler Tang of Shang in the 16th century BC. Another prominent figure was Yi Zhi, a renowned scholar and philosopher during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC).
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the name Yi was particularly prevalent among the aristocracy and literary circles. Yi Xing, a renowned Buddhist monk, mathematician, and astronomer, lived from 683 to 727 AD and made significant contributions to the development of Chinese astronomy and calendar systems.
In the realm of literature, Yi Jingming, a Tang Dynasty poet, was known for his innovative and influential style. He lived from 766 to 828 AD and was part of the renowned literary circle known as the "Eight Immortal Poets of the Tang Dynasty."
Moving forward to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), Yi Longji, also known as Emperor Taizu of Song, was the founder of the dynasty. He reigned from 960 to 976 AD and played a pivotal role in reunifying China after a period of political fragmentation.
Throughout the centuries, the Yi surname has been associated with various regions in China, particularly in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, and Hebei. The name has also appeared in numerous historical records, including local genealogies, imperial archives, and literary works, further attesting to its long-standing presence in Chinese cultural and historical narratives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yi
Among Census respondents with the surname Yi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Yi 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 Yi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.4% · 17,663
- Two or more races2.9% · 552
- White2.3% · 435
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 376
- Black or African American0.4% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yi
Yi 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
#2,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,934
+2,680 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 6.08
Rank movement Up 178 places
2020
#1,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,112
+1,178 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 6.39
Rank movement Up 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,189 | 15,254 | 5.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,011 | 17,934 | 6.08 | +2,680 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 178 places |
| 2020 | #1,844 | 19,112 | 6.39 | +1,178 bearers (+6.6%) | Up 167 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 Yi 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 | #2,011 | #1,844 | 8.3% |
| Count | 17,934 | 19,112 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 6.08 | 6.39 | 5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yi bearers went from 17,934 to 19,112 (+6.6% change). The surname moved up 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,011 to #1,844.
FAQ
Yi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yi?
Name Census estimates that about 21,916 living Americans carry the surname Yi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,639 residents.
How common is Yi?
Yi ranks #1,844 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,112 people with the surname Yi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,916), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Yi.
Has Yi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yi went from 17,934 recorded bearers to 19,112. That is an increase of 1,178 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,011 to #1,844.
What does the Census say about the background of Yi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.3%). 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 Yi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (17,663 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%), White (2.3%). 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 Yi (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 Yi mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "yi" (justice, righteousness, meaning) or referring to a place name. 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 Yi (6.39 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 share the surname Yi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.