Explore the Family Name Vai
The meaning of Vai
1. Italian (northern): nickname for someone with a dark hair or swarthy complexion, from vaio ‘dark’ (from Latin varius). 2. Bangladeshi and Indian: unexplained.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Vai in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Vai has seen a rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 101,157th but improved its ranking to 86,005th by 2010, an increase of approximately 15%. The number of people bearing the surname also rose from 165 in 2000 to 217 in 2010, marking a notable growth rate of over 31%. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people also saw a modest increase of nearly 17%, moving from 0.06 to 0.07.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #101,157 | #86,005 | 14.98% |
| Count | 165 | 217 | 31.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.06 | 0.07 | 16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Vai
On the ethnicity front, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts in trends for the surname Vai between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased significantly from 34.55% to 48.85%. At the same time, there was a decline in the percentage who identified as White, falling from 54.55% to 42.86%. Meanwhile, a small section of the population started identifying as Hispanic, standing at 3.69% in 2010, up from zero in the previous decade. However, the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories remained constant at zero, while those identifying as Two or more races saw a minor decrease from 3.03% to 2.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 34.55% | 48.85% | 41.39% |
| White | 54.55% | 42.86% | -21.43% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 3.69% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 3.03% | 2.76% | -8.91% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 3.64% | 0% | 0% |