Explore the Family Name Hei
The meaning of Hei
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 黑, meaning ‘black’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name Hei Gong (黑肱), personal name of a son of King Gong of Chu (ruler of the state of Chu, 600 BC–560 BC). (ii) said to be borne by the descendants of Song Weizi, founder of the state of Song (established in around 11th century bc). (iii) adopted as a surname by different minority ethnic groups in China. Also pronounced as He in some local dialects. 2. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 郗, see Xi 5. 3. Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of some Chinese names 喜 希, 羲, 熙, 曦, 熹, or 晞, which were monosyllabic personal names, or part of disyllabic personal names of some early Chinese immigrants in the US. 4. German: variant of Hey. This surname is very rare in Germany.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hei in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Hei' has notably increased between 2000 and 2010. The data indicates that the rank of this last name rose from 76,465 to 66,164 in a decade, marking a significant change of 13.47%. Furthermore, the count of individuals bearing the surname 'Hei' also escalated by 27.78%, moving from 234 people in 2000 to 299 in 2010. Corresponding to these figures, the proportion per 100,000 people also increased by 11.11%, suggesting an overall growth in the popularity of this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #76,465 | #66,164 | 13.47% |
| Count | 234 | 299 | 27.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.1 | 11.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hei
Turning to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census points out a substantial shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Hei'. While in 2000, the majority of those with the Hei surname identified as White (68.38%), this figure dropped by 16.36% to 57.19% in 2010. Conversely, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders increased significantly from 28.21% to 38.80%, indicating a change of 37.54%. Moreover, there was a slight increase of 4.69% in those identifying as belonging to two or more races. The percentages for Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at zero, denoting no individuals with the Hei surname identifying under these categories.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.38% | 57.19% | -16.36% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 28.21% | 38.8% | 37.54% |
| Two or More Races | 2.56% | 2.68% | 4.69% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |