Explore the Family Name Bui

The meaning of Bui

1. Vietnamese (Bùi): from the Chinese surname 裴, see Pei 1. 2. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 貝, see Bei 2. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 梅, see Mei 1. 4. Italian: patronymic or plural form of Bue. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Thanh, Hung, Dung, Khanh, Minh, Hai, Hien, Thuy, Tuan, Hoa, Tam, Chau, Lan, Hong, Nam, Phong, Sang, Man, Sinh, Thai, Chi, Dong, Tinh, Ho, Thach, Tuong, Uyen, Chien, Hang, Tong, Chung, Hon, Lai, Manh, Phoung, Tanh.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bui in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bui has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1579th in popularity and by 2010, it had moved up to the 1222nd position, marking a substantial increase of 22.61%. The count of individuals bearing the surname Bui also rose from 20,852 to 28,919 during this time period, an impressive growth of 38.69%. The proportion per 100,000 people with the Bui last name demonstrated an increase of 26.78%, going from 7.73 in 2000 to 9.8 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#1,579#1,22222.61%
Count20,85228,91938.69%
Proportion per 100k7.739.826.78%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bui

In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, those with the surname Bui predominantly identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 93.79% of individuals with the surname identified as such, increasing to 95.45% in 2010. The next most common ethnic identity among individuals with this surname is that of two or more races, which decreased in representation from 2.11% in 2000 to 1.63% in 2010. White, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities make up the rest of the identities associated with the Bui surname, but all experienced varying degrees of decrease over the decade.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander93.79%95.45%1.77%
White2.86%1.71%-40.21%
Two or More Races2.11%1.63%-22.75%
Hispanic0.72%0.87%20.83%
Black0.47%0.32%-31.91%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.04%0.02%-50%

Bui ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bui is Vietnamese, which comprises 84.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (4.3%) and Chinese (3.2%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma, Spanish & Portuguese, and Chinese Dai.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Vietnamese84.1%
British & Irish4.3%
Chinese3.2%
Other8.5%
Bui

Possible origins of the surname Bui

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bui have recent ancestry locations all within Vietnam.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam91.00%
Hanoi, Viet Nam88.40%
Thua Thien Hue, Viet Nam87.50%
Da Nang, Viet Nam68.90%
Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam55.00%

What Bui haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bui is O-F2758, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2758 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and O-M88, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hoang, Pham, Dinh, Nguyen, Phan, Dang, Do, Tran, Vu, Le.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bui surname are: M, F1a1, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

buiPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham

One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bui have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bui

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bui" Surname 20.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bui

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bui" Surname 22.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bui

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bui" Surname 21.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bui

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bui" Surname 6.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bui?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bui are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

ε4 variant

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, developing after age 65. Many factors, including genetics, can influence a person's chances of developing the condition. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the most common genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease: the ε4 variant in the APOE gene. Learn more about Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Vietnamese 20.4%

23andMe Users 25.5%