Explore the Family Name Fei
The meaning of Fei
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 費, meaning ‘fees’ in Chinese: (i) from Fei (費), the name of an ancient state (located in Shandong province), annexed during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) from Fei (費), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province), which was granted to Ji You, son of the Duke Huan of Lu (the 15th ruler of the state of Lu, died 694 BC). (iii) from Fei (費), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province), which was granted to an official in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) borne by descendants of Fei Wu Ji (費無級), an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (v) adopted as a surname by the Fei Lian (費連) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 2. another Mandarin pronunciation of the Chinese surname 賁, said to be borne by the descendants of Han Fei, a famous philosopher during Warring States period (475–221 BC), see Ben 5. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wei, Jia, Yanjun, Bin, Chen, Chen-Yu, Chiang, Guoping, Hong, Hua, Li Ping, Ling-Ling.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fei in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Fei has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname moved from 39,560 in 2000 to 27,021 in 2010 which denotes a change of 31.7%. In terms of count, there were 523 individuals with this surname in 2000, which rose to 897 in 2010, marking an increase of 71.51%. The proportion per 100k also saw a rise from 0.19 in 2000 to 0.3 in 2010, indicating a change of 57.89%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39,560 | #27,021 | 31.7% |
| Count | 523 | 897 | 71.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.3 | 57.89% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fei
The Decennial U.S. Census data for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Fei reveals that most identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 83.37% identified as such, increasing slightly to 84.28% in 2010. Those identifying as having two or more ethnicities decreased from 2.29% in 2000 to 1.90% in 2010. The proportion of those identifying as white also decreased from 13.38% in 2000 to 12.04% in 2010. Meanwhile, identification as Hispanic saw an increase from 0.96% in 2000 to 1.34% in 2010. It's important to note that no one with the Fei surname identified as Black, American Indian, or Alaskan Native during these years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 83.37% | 84.28% | 1.09% |
| White | 13.38% | 12.04% | -10.01% |
| Two or More Races | 2.29% | 1.9% | -17.03% |
| Hispanic | 0.96% | 1.34% | 39.58% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |