Explore the Family Name Di
The meaning of Di
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 狄, a term referring to the tribes in ancient northern China: (i) from Di (狄), the name of an ancient state (thought to have been located in Hebei or Shandong province), which was granted to Xiao Bo or Kao Bo by King Cheng of Zhou (reigned 1042–1021 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Ku Di (庫狄) family during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) traced back to other minority ethnic groups in ancient northwestern China. 2. Mandarin form of the Chinese surname 邸, meaning ‘official residence’ in Chinese: (i) from placename Di (邸), the name of a county (unidentified location). (ii) said to be borne by some descendants of Kujula Kadphises (called 丘就郤 or 邸就郤 in Chinese, 30–c.80 AD), founder of the Kushan Empire (one branch of the Yuezhi people originating from western China) located in Central Asia during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD). 3. Teochew, Hokkien, and Taiwanese form of the surname 池, see Chi 1. The dialects of this pronunciation are found in eastern Guangdong, Fujian, and Taiwan, from where many people migrated to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Di in the United States?
The popularity of the surname "Di" has seen a significant increase in the United States according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the surname was ranked 54,269th and rose to 38,754th in 2010, marking a rise of 28.59%. The count of people bearing this surname has also increased by over 60%, from 356 in 2000 to 570 in 2010. When it comes to proportion per 100,000 residents, there was an increase of 46.15% over the decade, moving from 0.13 in 2000 to 0.19 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #54,269 | #38,754 | 28.59% |
| Count | 356 | 570 | 60.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.19 | 46.15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Di
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Di", based on the Decennial U.S. Census, a majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 64.89% identified as such, increasing to 68.42% in 2010 – a growth of 5.44%. There have been fluctuations among other ethnicities. The percentage identifying as White decreased by 14.32% over the decade, while those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase of 76.05%. The Black community saw a slight decline of 2.96%, and no changes were recorded for those identifying as two or more races, or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 64.89% | 68.42% | 5.44% |
| White | 24.16% | 20.7% | -14.32% |
| Hispanic | 3.09% | 5.44% | 76.05% |
| Black | 5.06% | 4.91% | -2.96% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |