Explore the Family Name Mai
The meaning of Mai
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 麥, meaning ‘wheat’ in Chinese: (i) from Mai Qiu (麥丘), the title of a man in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), who, despite being very old, came to celebrate the birthday of the Duke Huan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 643 BC). His descendants inherited 麥, the first part of his title, as their surname. (ii) borne by descendants of Mai Tie Zhang (麥鐵杖), a famous general during the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD). His descendants were scattered around southern China. 2. Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 買, meaning ‘buy’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of the king Song Weizi, founder of the state of Song. (ii) borne by descendants of the Duke Dao of Xu (ruler of the state of Xu, 546–523 BC), possibly inheriting his personal name. (iii) from the first element of the personal name Mai Zhu Chu (買朱鉏), style name of an official who lived during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) it has also been traced back to other ethnic groups in northern China. 3. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 米, see Mi. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 马, see Ma 1. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 梅, see Mei 1. 6. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 梅, see Mei 1. 7. German: variant of May 2 ‘May’. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine) and Denmark. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Hung, Thanh, Hoa, Son, Dung, Long, Binh, Minh, Thu, Hue, Huong, Thuy. Chinese Chi, Hong, Ho, Sang, Han, Hang, Jian, Li, Man, Mei, Sen, Wei.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mai in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Mai has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In terms of ranking, the surname jumped from 2752 in 2000 to 2075 in 2010, marking a 24.6% change. The census data also illustrates an increase in the number of people bearing the surname Mai, with a count of 12,027 in 2000 that rose to 17,445 in 2010 — a noteworthy 45.05% growth. Furthermore, the proportion of the surname per 100k population expanded by 32.51%, shifting from 4.46 in 2000 to 5.91 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,752 | #2,075 | 24.6% |
| Count | 12,027 | 17,445 | 45.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.46 | 5.91 | 32.51% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mai
Turning to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates a predominance of the Asian/Pacific Islander identity among those with the surname Mai. There was a 4.31% increase from 81.94% in 2000 to 85.47% in 2010. During the same period, the percentage of people with the Mai surname identifying as White decreased by 21.93%, and those identifying as having two or more races reduced by 33.96%. However, the Hispanic and Black ethnic identities saw increases of 22.58% and 44.74% respectively. Notably, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native identity slightly dipped by 8.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 81.94% | 85.47% | 4.31% |
| White | 14.5% | 11.32% | -21.93% |
| Two or More Races | 2.12% | 1.4% | -33.96% |
| Hispanic | 0.93% | 1.14% | 22.58% |
| Black | 0.38% | 0.55% | 44.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.11% | -8.33% |
Mai 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 Mai is Vietnamese, which comprises 55.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (16.7%) and French & German (9.3%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Eastern European, Chinese Dai, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Vietnamese | 55.4% |
| Chinese | 16.7% |
| French & German | 9.3% |
| Other | 18.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Mai
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 Mai have recent ancestry locations in Vietnam and China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam | 60.60% |
| Hanoi, Viet Nam | 59.90% |
| Thua Thien Hue, Viet Nam | 59.60% |
| Da Nang, Viet Nam | 48.80% |
| Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam | 39.00% |
What Mai 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 Mai is O-M5420, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-M5420 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F2758 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nguyen, Phan, Tran, Pham, Do, Hoang, Vo, Dang, Lee, Zwick.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mai surname are: M, F1a1, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
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.
What do people with the surname Mai 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mai" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mai" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mai" Surname 26.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mai" Surname 9.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mai?
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 Mai are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition