Explore the Family Name Bi
The meaning of Bi
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 畢, originally denoting a kind of hand-net used in hunting or meaning ‘to complete’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Bi (畢), the name of a fief (located in present-day Shaanxi province), which was granted to Bi Gong Gao (畢公高, or Duke of Bi), the 15th son of the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Chu Lian (出連) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 秘 (also pronounced as Bei or Mi in Mandarin in some local regions), meaning ‘secret’ in Chinese: surname traced back to some powerful clans in the Qiang minority ethnic group in ancient western China. 3. Chinese: Teochew form of the surname 米, see Mai 3. This pronunciation is found in eastern Guangdong province, from where some people migrated to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 費 (also pronounced as Fei in Mandarin pinyin). See Fei 1. 5. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閉, meaning ‘close’ in Chinese: surname mainly found among the Zhuang ethnic group (located in present-day Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), said to be adopted by migrants from the present-day Shangdong province. 6. Vietnamese (Bì): from the Chinese surname 皮, see Pi 2. 7. In some cases also West African (Ghana): Akan name, perhaps from a personal name based on Twi (or a related dialect of the Akan language) bi ‘another’. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Weihua, Cheng, Hui, Keping, Kun, Lei, Li Ping, Ming, Qi, Tao, Weizhen, Wenyi. Vietnamese Chau, Hai, Hao, Hung, Mui, Nguyen, Nhung, Tran, Tuan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bi in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bi's popularity has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 31,658 in terms of common surnames in the United States, but it jumped to 18,971 by 2010, reflecting a change of 40.08%. The number of people with this surname also grew from 690 to 1,438 during this period, an increase of over 108.41%. As a result, the proportion of people with the surname Bi per 100,000 individuals rose by 88.46% from 0.26 to 0.49.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,658 | #18,971 | 40.08% |
| Count | 690 | 1,438 | 108.41% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.26 | 0.49 | 88.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bi
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity of individuals carrying the surname Bi. The majority identify as Asian or Pacific Islander, a proportion that increased from 88.12% in 2000 to 90.75% in 2010. Those identifying as having two or more ethnicities decreased significantly by 49.43%, while the percentage identifying as White also fell by 22.79% during the ten-year period. The proportion identifying as Black decreased slightly from 1.74% to 1.46%. The data does not show any individuals with the surname Bi identifying as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 88.12% | 90.75% | 2.98% |
| White | 6.67% | 5.15% | -22.79% |
| Black | 1.74% | 1.46% | -16.09% |
| Two or More Races | 2.61% | 1.32% | -49.43% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |