2000
#2,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,490
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.74
Uncommon Last name
Lai
A Chinese surname meaning "come," "rely upon," or referring to the city of Lai in ancient China.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,782 Americans carry the last name Lai. That puts it at #1,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,831 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lai 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lai with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,831
Census rank
#1,614
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,611 bearers of the surname Lai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lai
The surname LAI has its origins in China, where it first emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The name is derived from the Chinese word "lai," which means "to come" or "to arrive." It is believed that this surname was initially given to individuals who had traveled or immigrated from one region to another.
LAI is a widespread surname found across various regions of China, including Guangdong, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces. In ancient times, the name was sometimes written with different characters or spellings, such as 赖 or 莱, but the pronunciation remained similar.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAI surname can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Historical records mention a scholar named Lai Shengxuan, who lived during the Northern Song period (960-1127 AD) and served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a notable figure with the LAI surname was Lai Xingzheng, a celebrated poet and calligrapher. Born in 1502 in Jiangxi Province, Lai Xingzheng's works were highly acclaimed and are still studied by scholars today.
Another prominent individual with the LAI surname was Lai Guanlin, a military strategist and general who lived during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD). Lai Guanlin played a crucial role in suppressing various uprisings and rebellions, earning him a reputation as a skilled commander.
In the realm of literature, Lai He (1896-1968) was a renowned Chinese writer and translator. He was instrumental in introducing Western literary works to Chinese audiences and is celebrated for his contributions to modern Chinese literature.
Lastly, Lai Fusheng (1901-1993) was a prominent Chinese historian and archaeologist. He made significant discoveries and contributions to the understanding of ancient Chinese history, particularly during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
While the LAI surname is predominantly found in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply rooted in Chinese culture and ancestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lai
Among Census respondents with the surname Lai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lai 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 Lai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.6% · 19,805
- White3.4% · 745
- Two or more races3.2% · 698
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 269
- Black or African American0.4% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lai
Lai 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
#1,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,157
+3,667 bearers (+23.7%)
Per 100,000 6.49
Rank movement Up 275 places
2020
#1,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,611
+2,454 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 7.23
Rank movement Up 259 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,148 | 15,490 | 5.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,873 | 19,157 | 6.49 | +3,667 bearers (+23.7%) | Up 275 places |
| 2020 | #1,614 | 21,611 | 7.23 | +2,454 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 259 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 Lai 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 | #1,873 | #1,614 | 13.8% |
| Count | 19,157 | 21,611 | 12.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.49 | 7.23 | 11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lai bearers went from 19,157 to 21,611 (+12.8% change). The surname moved up 259 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,873 to #1,614.
FAQ
Lai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lai?
Name Census estimates that about 24,782 living Americans carry the surname Lai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,831 residents.
How common is Lai?
Lai ranks #1,614 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,611 people with the surname Lai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,782), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Lai.
Has Lai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lai went from 19,157 recorded bearers to 21,611. That is an increase of 2,454 (+12.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,873 to #1,614.
What does the Census say about the background of Lai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (19,805 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.6%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lai (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 Lai mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "come," "rely upon," or referring to the city of Lai in ancient China. 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 Lai (7.23 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 Lai?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.