Mei () is a romanized spelling of a

Chinese surname Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the ...

, transcribed in the

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

dialect. In Hong Kong and other Cantonese-speaking regions, the name may be transliterated as Mui or Moy.Louie, Emma Woo: "Chinese American Names"., p.29. McFarland & Co, Inc., 1998. In Vietnam, this surname is written as Mai. In romanized Korean, it is spelled Mae. The name literally translates in English to the

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...

fruit. The progenitor of the Méi clan, Méi Bo, originated from near a mountain in ancient China that was lined at its base with plum trees.Li, Jin Sheng: "Yún hé Sān Bai Xìng.", p. 77. Print date unavailable. "Mei" is also an Italian surname, and one transcription of the Slavic surname also spelt Mey (Мей).

Origins

The Méi

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

came from the Zi (子) family. They were awarded a kingdom in the southeast of Bo County in Anhui called Mei kingdom. The Méi ancestral hometown is located 60 miles southeast of Runan county, Henan province in central

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The first patriarch of the Méi lineage was

Méi Bo ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus '' Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, ...

or the Earl of Méi. During

King Zhou King Zhou (; ) was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang () or King Shou of Shang (), the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin (). In Chinese, his name Zhòu ( 紂) also refers to a horse cr ...

's reign ( Shang Dynasty, 1766-1122 BCE), Méi Bo pleaded repeatedly to King Zhou to repent from his cruel and corrupt ways. Méi Bo's convictions angered the erratic ruler, which he viewed as insubordination. As punishment, the Earl of Méi was beheaded. Inspired by Méi Bo's acts, his descendants subsequently adopted the surname of Méi to pay homage to this ancient noble.

People with the surname Mei (梅)

* Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer and actress * James Mui, American musician of Puerto Rican and Chinese descent. *

Mei Ju-ao Mei Ju-ao (; 7 November 1904 – 23 April 1973) was a Chinese jurist, professor, politician and author. Education Mei was born in Nanchang, in eastern China's Jiangxi province. At the age of 12, Ju-ao was admitted into a school on the site of wha ...

, jurist of the

Tokyo Trial The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial or the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on April 29, 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for crimes against peace, conven ...

* Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), Beijing opera actor *

Lexton Moy Lexton de la Cruz Moy (, born 24 January 1985) is an American-Filipino sportsperson and former Philippines international footballer. He played as a midfielder and last played for Lam Ieng that competed in the Campeonato da 1ª Divisão do Futeb ...

, American soccer player of Chinese and Filipino heritage * Mei Lin (actress), Chinese actress * Milagros Moy, Peruvian volleyball player *

Mei Quong Tart Quong Tart, now often (if anachronistically) known as Mei Quong Tart, was a prominent nineteenth century Sydney merchant from China. He was one of Sydney's most famous and well-loved personalities and made a significant impact on the social a ...

, Australian Chinese businessman *

Mai Thuc Loan Mai, or MAI, may refer to: Names * Mai (Chinese surname) * Mai (Vietnamese surname) * Mai (name) * Mai (singer), J-Pop singer * Iris Mai (born 1962), German chess master Places * Chiang Mai, largest city in northern Thailand * Ma-i, a pre-Hispan ...

, Vietnamese emperor * Mei Yaochen, Song Dynasty poet * Moy Yat, Kung Fu master (Wing Chun) *

Jeannie Mai Jeannie Mai-Jenkins (born Jeannie Camtu Mai) is an American television host and stylist best known for her work on the makeover show '' How Do I Look?'' and the syndicated daytime talk show ''The Real''. As a fashion expert, she is frequently fe ...

, Chinese-Vietnamese American television presenter, make-up artist, and stylist.

People with the surname Mei (Italian)

Andrea Mei Andrea Mei (born 18 May 1989) is an Italian footballer who plays as a centre-back. Club career Mei was signed by Inter Milan in August 2004 along with Luca Gentili. He was sold to Piacenza Calcio along with Luca Tremolada in co-ownership de ...

(born 1989), Italian footballer *

Anna Mei Anna Mei (10 July 1967) is a racing cyclist, mountain biker and a breaker of long-distance (24h) records. She set the women's velodrome record at 441.55 miles (711.04 km), average speed 18.40 mph (29.63 km/h) at the Roberto Battagl ...

(born 1967), Italian racing cyclist and mountain biker *

Bernardino Mei The Italian painter and engraver Bernardino Mei (1612/15 – 1676) worked in a Baroque manner in his native Siena and in Rome, finding patronage above all in the Chigi family. Briefly a pupil of the Sienese cartographer and draughtsman Giulia ...

(1612/15–1676), Italian painter and engraver *

Giovanni Mei Giovanni Mei (born 15 October 1953) is an Italian former football player and who now works as the technical director of Italian club Fano. Playing career Mei played as a central defender, often used as a full-back, spending his youth career ...

(born 1953), Italian retired footballer * Girolamo Mei (1519–1594), Italian historian and humanist * Nicola Mei (1985), Italian professional basketball player *

Paolo Mei Paolo Mei (18 June 1831 – 21 March 1900) was an Italian painter active in Rome. Biography He was born in Rome to his father, Domenico, and his mother, Matilde Farrajoni. Parish records list the name sometimes as Meo, but Mei was used throu ...

(1831–1900), Italian painter *

Stefano Mei Stefano Mei (born 3 February 1963 in La Spezia) is an Italian long-distance runner who specialized in the 5000 and 10000 metres. European champion on 10000 m in 1986. From 31 January 2021 he is the new president of Italian Athletics Federation ...

(born 1963), Italian long-distance runner

People with the surname Mei/Mey (Мей)

* Lev Mei (1822-1862), Russian dramatist and poet *

Lydia Mei Lydia Mei (2 July 1896 – 14 September 1965) was an Estonian artist who specialized in watercolors. Born on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa, Lydia Mei was the middle child of the three daughters of a ship's captain. All three sisters would bec ...

(1896-1965), Estonian artist *

Natalie Mei Natalie Johanna Mei (10 January 1900 – 29 July 1975) was an Estonian painter and graphic artist. Born on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa, Natalie Mei was one of three daughters of a ship's captain. All three sisters would become artists, with ...

(1900-1975), Estonian painter and graphic artist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mei (Surname) Chinese-language surnames Individual Chinese surnames