Pei (surname) explained

Pei (裴)
Pronunciation:	Péi (Mandarin)
Language:	Chinese
Language origin:	Old Chinese

Pei is an East Asian surname originating in north China. In 2008, it was the 156th most common surname in mainland China, with at least 830,000 Chinese sharing this name.^[1]

There are also people with this surname based on the same Chinese letter in Vietnam (as Bùi), where it is in relative terms much more common (the 9th most common surname), and Korea (as Bae; 배).

The surname Lei was accidentally created from Pei as a result of a transcription error.^[2]

By coincidence, "Pei" is also an Italian surname (of two syllables), whose meaning may derive from the pear or pear tree, or alternatively, represent an abbreviation of "Pietro" or "Pompeo."^[3]

Notable people

Historical Figures

• Pei clan of Hedong
• Pei Xiu (224–271), minister, geographer, and cartographer during the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty
• Pei Songzhi (372–451), Liu Song dynasty historian
• Pei Ji (Sui and Tang) Official and Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
• Pei Ju Official of the Sui Dynasty and Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
• Pei Yan (died 684), Tang dynasty official

Modern Figures

• Carl Pei (born Péi Yǔ; 1989–), Chinese-born Swedish entrepreneur
• Pei Wenzhong (1904–1982), anthropologist

Italians

• Mario Pei (1901–1978), linguist

Notes and References

1. "中国最新300大姓排名（2008 [Statistics on the number of citizens with each surname in China, based on records of National Identity Cards]." 2009-01-06. Accessed 20 Jun 2015.
2. Chao, Sheau-yueh J. 尋根溯源中國人的姓氏: Genealogical Research on Chinese Surnames
3. Joseph Guerin Fucilla, Our Italian Surnames, p. 86.