2000
#39,560
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 523
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Rare Last name
Fei
A surname of Chinese origin meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,472 Americans carry the last name Fei. That puts it at #20,843 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 232,849 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fei surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 232,849
Census rank
#20,843
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,284 bearers of the surname Fei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20843rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fei
The surname FEI originated in China, with roots dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word 'fei', which means 'to fly' or 'to soar'. The name was likely given to individuals who excelled in archery or falconry, as these activities involved making objects soar through the air.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the FEI surname can be found in the "Xin Tang Shu" (New Book of Tang), a historical text compiled in the 11th century. This book lists several individuals with the FEI surname who held important positions in the Tang imperial court.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the FEI surname was particularly prevalent in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of eastern China. Many prominent scholars and officials bore this name, including FEI Xingdao (1009-1076), a renowned calligrapher and poet.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the FEI surname gained further prominence with the rise of FEI Zhenxiao (1508-1570), a accomplished military strategist and general. He played a crucial role in suppressing several rebellions and securing the Ming Empire's borders.
Another notable figure from this period was FEI Zhengqing (1491-1554), a famous painter and art theorist who helped shape the artistic landscape of the Ming era.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the FEI surname continued to be associated with scholarly and artistic pursuits. FEI Dunshen (1801-1850) was a celebrated painter and calligrapher, while FEI Xiaotong (1910-2005) was a renowned sociologist and anthropologist who made significant contributions to the study of Chinese culture and society.
Throughout its long history, the FEI surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have left an indelible mark on various fields, from literature and art to military strategy and social sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fei
Among Census respondents with the surname Fei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fei bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.1% · 1,131
- White7.9% · 101
- Two or more races2.3% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 14
- Black or African American0.6% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fei
Fei appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#27,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 897
+374 bearers (+71.5%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 12,539 places
2020
#20,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,284
+387 bearers (+43.1%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 6,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,560 | 523 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,021 | 897 | 0.30 | +374 bearers (+71.5%) | Up 12,539 places |
| 2020 | #20,843 | 1,284 | 0.43 | +387 bearers (+43.1%) | Up 6,178 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fei surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,021 | #20,843 | 22.9% |
| Count | 897 | 1,284 | 43.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.43 | 43.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fei bearers went from 897 to 1,284 (+43.1% change). The surname moved up 6,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,021 to #20,843.
FAQ
Fei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fei?
Name Census estimates that about 1,472 living Americans carry the surname Fei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 232,849 residents.
How common is Fei?
Fei ranks #20,843 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,284 people with the surname Fei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,472), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fei.
Has Fei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fei went from 897 recorded bearers to 1,284. That is an increase of 387 (+43.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,021 to #20,843.
What does the Census say about the background of Fei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fei, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (1,131 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.1%), White (7.9%), Two or More Races (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fei (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fei mean?
A surname of Chinese origin meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fei (0.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Fei?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.