Explore the Family Name Ooi

The meaning of Ooi

Chinese: Hokkien and Taiwanese form of the surname 黃, see Huang 1. The dialects in which this form is found are spoken in Fujian and Taiwan, from where some people migrated to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Some characteristic forenames: Southeast Asian Boon, Joon, Beng, Chen, Cheng Hua, Chin, Han, Kuo, Leong, Liling, Seng, Sze, Siew, Wee, Yen.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Ooi in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Ooi has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ooi was ranked at 97,848, but by 2010 it had climbed to rank 45,189, marking an impressive increase of 53.82 percent. The actual count of people with the surname also rose from 172 in 2000 to 474 in 2010, demonstrating a growth rate of 175.58 percent. As a result, for every 100,000 people in the U.S., there were 0.06 individuals named Ooi in 2000, but this figure increased to 0.16 by 2010, translating into an elevation of approximately 166.67 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#97,848#45,18953.82%
Count172474175.58%
Proportion per 100k0.060.16166.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ooi

The Decennial U.S. Census data on the ethnicity associated with the surname Ooi reveals some interesting shifts from 2000 to 2010. The majority of people with this surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, growing from 84.30 percent in 2000 to 93.88 percent in 2010 – an increase of 11.36 percent. However, the proportion of those identifying with two or more ethnicities fell drastically from 10.47 percent in 2000 to just 3.38 percent in 2010. Additionally, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of people with the Ooi surname identifying as White, dropping from 3.49 percent in 2000 to 2.53 percent in 2010. No individuals with this surname identified as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander84.3%93.88%11.36%
Two or More Races10.47%3.38%-67.72%
White3.49%2.53%-27.51%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%