Explore the Family Name Mi
The meaning of Mi
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 米, which means ‘rice’: (i) from one of the ‘Nine Sogdian Surnames’, also known as ‘nine surnames of Zhaowu’, because their ancestors came from Zhaowu, an ancient city in present-day Gansu province in northwestern China. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581–987 AD) there were nine Sogdian states in Central Asia, one of which was called Mi (米) in Chinese (located in present-day Uzbekistan). Between 649 and 655 AD, these states submitted to the Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–83 AD). Immigrants from the state of Mi to China acquired the surname 米. (ii) for some families, the surname is borne by descendants of Mi Fu (米芾), an artist in the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127 AD), who claimed he was a descendant from the royal families of the state of Chu in the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) and changed his original surname 芈 to 米, a different Chinese character with the same pronunciation. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 宓 (also pronounced as Fu in Mandarin): (i) said to be borne by descendants of Fu Xi (伏羲), a legendary figure prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) said to be traced back to Mi Kang Gong (密康公, also written as 宓康公, Duke Kang of Mi, died 922 BC), ruler of the state of Mi during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 密, meaning ‘secret’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of Mi Xu (密須), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Gansu province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) from Mi (密), the name of a state (originally located in present-day Gansu province, later moved to Mixian in present-day Henan province) during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). (iii) from the placename Mi (密), the name of two fiefs (located in Shandong province) in the state of Lu and the state of Ju respectively. (iv) a surname from the Tangut ethnic group in northwestern China. 4. Mandarin form of the surname 秘 (also pronounced as Bi or Bei in Mandarin), see Bi 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mi in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Mi has seen a positive change from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 40,465 in terms of popularity and had a count of 509. By the year 2010, it had risen significantly in rank to 30,442 with a count of 767. This represents a percentage increase of around 25% in rank and a substantial 51% increase in count. The proportion of people having the surname per 100k also increased by approximately 37% during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40,465 | #30,442 | 24.77% |
| Count | 509 | 767 | 50.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.26 | 36.84% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mi
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Mi has also shifted between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identified themselves as Asian/Pacific Islander, which increased from 64.64% to 73.4%. There were no reported cases of individuals identifying as Two or more races or American Indian and Alaskan Native. On the other hand, the proportions of individuals identifying as White, Hispanic, and Black decreased over the years. White identifiers fell from 22% to 16.04%, Hispanics from 4.72% to 3.65%, and Blacks from 6.68% to 4.82%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 64.64% | 73.4% | 13.55% |
| White | 22% | 16.04% | -27.09% |
| Black | 6.68% | 4.82% | -27.84% |
| Hispanic | 4.72% | 3.65% | -22.67% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |