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Dai Family History

Dai Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 戴 meaning ‘respect support’ in Chinese: (i) from Dai (戴) the posthumous title of Duke Dai of Song (ruler of the state of Song reigned 799–766 BC). (ii) from Dai (戴) the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province). After it was annexed by the state of Zheng in 713 BC the name of the state was adopted as a surname.

(iii) adopted in place of another Chinese surname Yin (殷) because they shared a similar meaning ‘deep feeling’ in ancient Chinese. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 代 meaning ‘historical periods’ in Chinese: (i) from Dai (代) the name of an ancient state (located in Hebei province).

After it was annexed by the state of Zhao during the Warring States period (475–221 BC) the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) traced back to the Dai (代) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China.

Vietnamese (Đái): from the Chinese surname 戴 see 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames:

Lai
, Cai
, Hai
, Pan
, Bai
, Si
, Mai
, Hao
, Kai
, Dan

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Where is the Dai family from?

You can see how Dai families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dai family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Dai families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Dai family living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Dai's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dai families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dai surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

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Census Records

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Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Dai. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Dai. For the veterans among your Dai ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dai lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Dai life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Dai in 1963 was 62, and 73 in 2004.

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