Explore the Family Name Hai
The meaning of Hai
1. Muslim (mainly the Indian subcontinent): from a personal name based on Arabic ḥayy ‘alive’. Al-Ḥayy ‘the Living’ is an attribute of Allah. 2. Jewish: variant of Hay. 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 海, meaning ‘sea’ in Chinese: (i) possibly from the second element of the placename Nan Hai (南海 ‘South Sea’) (located in Guangdong province), said to have been the residence of a descendant of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (ii) borne by descendants of Hai Chun (海春), an official who lived during the reign of Duke Ling of Wey (the 28th ruler of the state of Wey, 540–493 BC). 4. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 奚, see Xi 1. 5. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 解, see Xie 2. 6. Vietnamese (Hải): from the Chinese surname 海, see 3 above. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Abdul, Syed, Arifa, Atta, Faiz, Hamid, Iftekhar, Iskandar, Mohamed, Mohammad, Mohannad. Vietnamese Mui, Pham, Tran, Vo, Bui, Cao, Chau, Dinh, Duong, Nguyen, Sau, Vo Van. Jewish Ilan, Ronen, Shlomo. Chinese Chan, Chiming, Lung, Wai Fun, Yin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hai in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Hai has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 35,187th in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had moved up to 29,093rd, marking a substantial rise of 17.32% over the decade. Similarly, the total count of individuals bearing the surname rose from 606 to 815 during this period, reflecting a growth rate of 34.49%. This resulted in an increase in the proportion of people with the surname Hai per 100,000 from 0.22 to 0.28, which denotes a relative change of 27.27%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,187 | #29,093 | 17.32% |
| Count | 606 | 815 | 34.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.28 | 27.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hai
The ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals a shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Hai between 2000 and 2010. The majority of persons with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, a percentage that grew from 70.79% to 75.09% in ten years. Conversely, the representation of Hai among those identifying as two or more races, Black, and White experienced decreases of 32.48%, 31.72%, and 6.90% respectively. The presence of the surname Hai was first noticed in the Hispanic community in 2010, albeit at a small proportion of 0.74%. There were no recorded instances of the surname among American Indian and Alaskan Native populations in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 70.79% | 75.09% | 6.07% |
| White | 18.98% | 17.67% | -6.9% |
| Two or More Races | 5.45% | 3.68% | -32.48% |
| Black | 4.13% | 2.82% | -31.72% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.74% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |