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

Yui, 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 Yui surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yui in America

Yui is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yui surname appeared 131 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Yui.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yui 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 Yui

The surname Yui has its origins in East Asia, most notably in China and Japan. In China, Yui is often a Romanization of the traditional Chinese surname Yu, associated with the Mandarin pronunciation of various Chinese characters, such as 裕, 余, or 于. The name Yu can be traced back to ancient Chinese dynasties, with historical records indicating its usage as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties (circa 1600-256 BCE). Yu was typically associated with nobility and clans that held significant influence within their regions.

In Japan, Yui is an alternative romanization for several different kanji characters. One frequent kanji used for Yui is 結 (which can mean "tie," "bind," or "join"), often seen in the context of familial or communal bonds. Another possible kanji is 唯, meaning "only" or "sole." The Japanese surname Yui features in regional histories, especially in areas like Shizuoka Prefecture, where it was a common surname among samurai families during the feudal period.

Historical references to the surname Yui in old records are sparse but existent. For example, in Japan, the name appears in the military chronicles of the Sengoku period (1467-1615). One of the earliest recorded instances is in the "Buke Myomoku," a directory of samurai families, where a samurai named Yui Shosetsu (1607-1651) is listed. Yui Shosetsu was a notable ronin who led a failed uprising against the Tokugawa Shogunate, known as the Keian Uprising in 1651.

Another example includes Yui Kai (1849-1933), a Japanese diplomat and historian, who played a vital role in the Meiji Restoration that modernized Japan. His extensive works on Japanese history and international relations have left a significant scholarly legacy.

In China, Yui as a surname appeared in various forms in historical texts. One prominent figure is Yu Qian (1398-1457), a Chinese official of the Ming dynasty renowned for his defense of Beijing against the Mongol forces in 1449. Although Yu Qian's surname in Mandarin is more commonly transliterated as Yu, in dialectical variations, it can appear as Yui.

Another significant historical personality is the Chinese scholar Yu Yue (1821-1907), whose surname again can be dialectically rendered as Yui. Yu Yue was a Qing dynasty scholar, known for his literary critiques and contributions to the Wenxin Diaolong "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons," a classic Chinese literary work.

Japanese-American writer and academic Tamaki Yui (1925-1983) was influential in post-War Japanese literature studies and was a professor at multiple prestigious universities, contributing significantly to the cross-cultural understanding of Japanese and Western literature.

These historical figures and records collectively attest to the deep historical roots and varied cultural significance of the surname Yui, showcasing its longstanding presence and influence in both Chinese and Japanese histories. The linguistic variations and transliteration practices have enabled it to persist through various eras, embodying different facets of cultural heritage in East Asia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yui

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

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

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

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