Explore the Family Name Ai
The meaning of Ai
1. Japanese: usually written 阿井 with characters used phonetically. The meaning could be ‘meeting’. In North America, it may also be a shortened form of some other name. 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 艾, referring to ‘Chinese mugwort’, a type of plant used in traditional Chinese medical treatment: (i) perhaps from the second element of Ru Ai (汝艾), the name of an official who lived during the reign of Shao Kang, the 6th king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from the first element of the placename Ai Ling (艾陵), the name of a hill (located in Shandong province), the fief of Ai Kong (艾孔), an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) from the placename Ai (艾), the name of a fief (located in Jiangxi province) which was granted to an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) adopted as a surname by the Qu Jin (去斤), Qu Ai (去艾), and Ai Jin (艾斤) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (v) from Ai (艾), the name of an ancient state (possibly in present-day Jiangxi province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 愛, meaning ‘love’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Ai Xie Wu (愛邪勿), prime minister of the state of Huihu (known as Uyghur Empire or Uyghur Khaganate), who was endowed with the surname Ai (愛) by Emperor Wuzong of Tang (814–846 AD). (ii) a Han Chinese surname for some members of the Aisin Gioro family from the Manchu ethnic group, known as the royal family of the Qing dynasty (1616–1911 AD). (iii) a surname from minority ethnic groups in Taiwan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ai in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ai has seen a significant rise in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 56,687 but increased to 36,379 by 2010, representing an upward shift of 35.82%. Furthermore, the count associated with this surname has also seen a substantial increase of 82.49%, going from 337 in 2000 to 615 in 2010. This change means that the proportion of individuals carrying the Ai surname out of every 100,000 people increased by 75% over the decade, moving from 0.12 to 0.21.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #56,687 | #36,379 | 35.82% |
| Count | 337 | 615 | 82.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.21 | 75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ai
When considering ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that the majority of individuals with the Ai surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. However, there has been a slight decrease in this demographic, dropping 5.5% from 87.24% in 2000 to 82.44% in 2010. There was an impressive upswing of 128.37% in the number of individuals identifying as 'Two or more races', increasing from 3.56% in 2000 to 8.13% in 2010. The proportion of those identifying as White and Hispanic saw minimal changes, while the percentage of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained at zero in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 87.24% | 82.44% | -5.5% |
| Two or More Races | 3.56% | 8.13% | 128.37% |
| White | 4.45% | 4.39% | -1.35% |
| Hispanic | 2.37% | 3.25% | 37.13% |
| Black | 2.37% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |