Bái is the

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

of the

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

白 Radical 106 or radical white () meaning "white" is one of the 23 Kangxi radicals (214 radicals in total) composed of 5 strokes. In the ''Kangxi Dictionary'', there are 109 characters (out of 49,030) to be found under this radical. is also the ...

, meaning the colour white.

Origin

Han Chinese origins

* a surname used by descendants of Bai Fu (白阜), a minister of the legendary

Emperor Yan The Yan Emperor () or the Flame Emperor was a legendary ancient Chinese emperor in pre-dynastic times. Some modern Chinese scholars have identified the Sheep's Head Mountains (''Yángtóu Shān'') Weibin District, Baoji as his homeland and terri ...

. * a surname used by descendants of , the son of a crown prince and grandson of King Ping of the

State of Chu Chu (, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was an Ancient Chinese states, ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BC. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou heartland and lasted ...

during the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...

. * a surname used by the descendants of a prince named , son of Duke Wu of the

state of Qin Qin (, , or ''Ch'in'') was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. It is traditionally dated to 897 BC. The state of Qin originated from a reconquest of western lands that had previously been lost to the Xirong. Its location at ...

. * a surname used by descendants of , a general under

Duke Mu of Qin Duke Mu of Qin (died 621BC), born Ying Renhao, was a duke of the state of Qin. Sometimes considered one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Mu greatly expanded the territory of Qin during the reign of King Xiang of Zhou. ...

. * a surname used by residents of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

province Baizhou (白州).

Other ethnic origins

* a surname used by the

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

s, a translation of the surname Chagan (), possibly derived from

Bayads The Bayad (Mongol: Баяд/Bayad, ''lit. "the Riches"'') is the third largest subgroup of Mongol people in modern Mongolia and they are a tribe in Four Oirats. Baya'ud were a prominent clan within the Mongol Empire. Baya'ud can be found in b ...

Borjigits A Borjigin is a member of the Mongol sub-clan that started with Bodonchar Munkhag of the Kiyat clan. Yesugei's descendants were thus said to be Kiyat-Borjigin. The senior Borjigids provided ruling princes for Mongolia and Inner Mongolia unti ...

, or

Borjigins A Borjigin is a member of the Mongol sub-clan that started with Bodonchar Munkhag of the Kiyat clan. Yesugei's descendants were thus said to be Kiyat-Borjigin. The senior Borjigids provided ruling princes for Mongolia and Inner Mongolia unti ...

. * a surname used by the

Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

Gūwalgiya Gūwalgiya was one of the most powerful Manchu clans. It is often listed by historians as the first of the eight prominent Manchu clans of the Qing dynasty. After the demise of the dynasty, some of its descendants sinicized their clan name to th ...

Irgen Gioro Irgen Gioro (; ) is a Manchu clan and family name, which was officially categorized as a "notable clan", and member of the eight great houses of the Manchu nobility in Qing dynasty. Sibe and Nanai people also has Irgen Gioro as their family n ...

and Bayara Gioro (a branch of

Aisin Gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro is a Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, members of the Aisin Gioro clan served as chie ...

). * during the ancient

in modern-day

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

, the

Bai people The Bai or Pai (Bai language, Bai: , ; zh, c=白族, p=Báizú), are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan, Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou, Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi C ...

used the surname Bai after their tribe name * a surname used by the ancient Donghu people. * a surname used by the ancient people of

Kucha Kucha or Kuche (also: ''Kuçar'', ''Kuchar''; , Кучар; zh, t= 龜茲, p=Qiūcí, zh, t= 庫車, p=Kùchē; ) was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the northern edge of what is now the Taklam ...

(or Qiuci). Kucha was an ancient country located in current Xinjiang province of China.

Alternate spellings

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 ...

: Bái, Pai *

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

: Pai *

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

(

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and

Macao Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...

): Baak⁶, Pak *

Min Nan Southern Min (), Minnan ( Mandarin pronunciation: ) or Banlam (), is a group of linguistically similar and historically related Chinese languages that form a branch of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian (especially the Minnan region), most of Taiwan ...

(

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

(

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

)/ Teochew): Pe̍h, Pe̍k, Peh *

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...

: Bạch *

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

Baek Baek (), also often spelled Paek, Baik, Paik, or Back is a Korean family name. In the year 2000, there were 351,275 people with this surname in South Korea. The word means the color white. Baek (白) "白" has a Cantonese origin from the Yuan dy ...

, Paik, Baik, Baeg (백), based on the same Chinese letter 白 *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: Bekku, Haku, Hyaku, Byaku

Notable people

Bai Qi Bai Qi (; – January 257 BC), also known as Gongsun Qi (), was a Chinese military general of the Qin (state), Qin state during the Warring States period. Born in Mei (present-day Mei County, Shaanxi), Bai Qi served as the commander of the Qin ...

(白起; died 257 BC), Qin general of the Warring States period *

Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; , Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin pinyin ''Bǎi Jūyì''; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career o ...

(白居易; 772–846), Tang dynasty poet * Bai Renfu (白仁甫; 1226–1306), Yuan dynasty playwright *

Bai Chongxi Bai Chongxi (18 March 1893 – 2 December 1966; , , Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China (ROC) and a prominent leader of the Kuomintang. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Muslim faith ...

(白崇禧; 1893–1966), Chinese Muslim general of the Republic of China *

Bai Shouyi Bai Shouyi (; February 1909 – March 21, 2000), also known as Djamal al-Din Bai Shouyi, was a Chinese ethnologist, historian, social activist, and writer who revolutionized recent Chinese historiography and pioneered in relying heavily on sci ...

(白寿彝; 1909–2000) (Arabic name: Djamal al-Din Bai Shouyi) Chinese Muslim historian *

Pai Hsien-yung Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai ( zh, c=白先勇, poj=Pe̍h Sian-ióng, p=Bái Xiānyǒng, w=Pai Hsien-yung; born July 11, 1937) is a Taiwanese writer who has been described as a "melancholy pioneer". He was born in Guilin, Guangxi at the cusp of the Se ...

(白先勇; born 1937), Chinese Muslim writer *

Pak Kian Huat On 1 September 2019, at a four-room flat in Toa Payoh, 82-year-old Pak Kian Huat (白建发 Bái Jiànfā), alias Pek Kiah Huat, brandished a chopper and attacked his longtime domestic partner Lim Soi Moy (林细妹 Lín Xìmèi), and inflicted a ...

(白建发; born 1937), Singaporean convicted murder; see 2019 Toa Payoh chopper attack *

Bai Shuxiang Bai Shuxiang (; born 1939) is a Chinese dancer and former prima ballerina, known for her role in the early development of professional ballet in China. After training at the Beijing Dance School as a teenager, Bai was appointed principal dancer ...

(白淑湘; born 1939), Chinese ballet dancer *

Rose Pak Rose Lan Pak ( zh, t=白蘭, s=白兰, p=Bái Lán, j=Baak6 Laan4, November 25, 1947 – September 18, 2016) was a political activist in San Francisco, California, noted for her influence on city politics and power in the Chinatown community. Pak ...

(白蘭; 1947–2016) Chinese-born political activist in San Francisco, California * Lou Pai (白露龍; born 1947), Chinese-American businessman and former Enron executive *

Peh Chin Hua Peh Chin Hua (; born 1947) is a former Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Besar GRC from 1988 to 2001. He retired from politics in 2001. Political c ...

(白振华; born 1947), Singaporean politician *

Peh Thian Hui Between 1996 and 2000, over a period of four years, a young girl was raped by her mother's boyfriend Peh Thian Hui (白添辉 Bái Tiānhuī), a married father of three. Peh had committed the sexual assaults for at least fifty times throughout t ...

(白添辉; born 1953), Singaporean convicted rapist *

Bai Chunli Bai Chunli ForMemRS HonFRSC HonFRSE (; born September 26, 1953) is a Chinese physical chemist, nanotechnology scientist, and academic administrator. He is a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemistry. In academia, ...

(白春礼; born 1953), Manchus, Chinese physical chemist and nanoscientist, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences * Bai Wenqi (白文奇; born 1955), Lieutenant general of the PLA Air Force * Simon Peh Yun-lu (白韞六; born 1955), Hong Kong civil servant *

Beh Meng Chai On 2 November 1980, two people – 31-year-old fish dealer Lee Cheng Tiong (李正中 Lǐ Zhèngzhōng or 李清忠 Lǐ Qìngzhōng) and 16-year-old Teo Keng Siang (张庆祥 Zhāng Qìngxiáng) – were brutally murdered by one or more unknown as ...

(白明才; born 1960), Malaysian murderer; see

Jurong fishing port murders On 2 November 1980, two people – 31-year-old fish dealer Lee Cheng Tiong (李正中 Lǐ Zhèngzhōng or 李清忠 Lǐ Qìngzhōng) and 16-year-old Teo Keng Siang (张庆祥 Zhāng Qìngxiáng) – were brutally murdered by one or more unknown as ...

Bai Ling Bai Ling (, born October 10, 1966) is a Chinese American actress and musician. After acting in numerous Chinese productions, she played small roles in American films such as '' The Crow'' (1994) and '' Nixon'' (1995) before starring as the femal ...

(白灵; born 1966), Chinese-born American actress *

Bai Yansong Bai Yansong () (born August 20, 1968) is a Chinese news commentator, anchor and journalist for China Central Television (CCTV). He has become one of the most recognizable figures in China, serving as the lead anchor on stories such as the Sydney ...

(白岩松; born 1968), Chinese host * Pai Kun-Hong (白昆弘; born 1970), Taiwanese baseball player * Bai Jie (白洁; born 1972), Chinese female footballer *

Pai Hsiao-yen Pai Hsiao-yen (; 23 June 1980 – 18–20 April 1997) was the only daughter of popular Taiwanese television host and actress Pai Bing-bing and Japanese author Ikki Kajiwara. In April 1997, Pai was Kidnapping, kidnapped, held for ransom, and mu ...

(白曉燕; 1980–1997), Taiwanese teenage idol and victim of a fatal kidnapping *

Bai Jing Bai Jing () (4 June 1983 – 28 February 2012) was a Chinese actress. She was best known for her role in the 2010 film '' Kung Fu Wing Chun'' in which she played the Chinese folk heroine Yim Wing-chun. Background Bai Jing graduated from Centra ...

(白静; 1983–2012), Chinese actress * Joanne Peh Wei Siew (白薇秀; born 1983), Singaporean actress and television host *

Michelle Bai Bai Bing (; born 2 May 1986) is a Chinese actress and singer. Bai is noted for her roles as Xue Baochai and Princess Yushu in the television series '' The Dream of Red Mansions'' (2010) and '' The Myth'' (2010) respectively. Early life and ed ...

(白冰; born 1986), Chinese actress and singer * Bai An (白安; born 1991), Taiwanese singer, Manchurian * Pek Jin Shen (白敬生; born 1992), Singaporean rapper better known by his stage name Shigga Shay *

Bai Jingting Bai Jingting (, born October 15, 1993) is a Chinese actor, singer and entrepreneur. He is known for his roles in the series '' The First Frost'', '' Always On The Move'', '' Destined'', '' New Life Begins'', ''Reset'', '' You Are My Hero'', f ...

(白敬亭; born 1993) Chinese actor * Vanessa Peh Ting Ting (白婷婷; born 1994), Singaporean actress *

Peck Yen Wei Peck Yen Wei (, born 10 February 1996) is a Malaysian badminton player. She started playing badminton at aged ten in Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Jinjang Utara. She made her debut in the international tournament in 2014, and at the same year sh ...

(白燕微; born 1996), Malaysian badminton player *

Peter Pek Peter Pek is a Malaysian businessman, and the chief executive of the World Branding Forum, a global non-profit organisation that manages and supports a range of programmes. He is also the executive producer of the World Branding Awards. He is th ...

(died 2018), chief executive of the World Branding Forum * Bai Chong'en (白重恩) Chinese economist *

Fan Bai Fan Bai is a researcher and engineer, from General Motors Global R&D, Detroit, MI, who was named Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2016 for contributions to vehicular networking and mobility modeling. Since ...

, researcher and engineer

柏 Bǎi

* Bai Wenwei (柏文蔚; 1876–1947), KMT General, Governor of Anhui Province, Advisor to Presidential Palace, Chairman Anhui Provincial Government, KMT Central Party Committee, and Central Executive Committee * Bai Xiaolei (柏小磊; born 1985) is a Chinese football player born in Dalian * Bai Yan (柏衍; born 1989) is a Chinese male tennis player born in Nanjing, Jiangsu * Bai Jiajun (柏佳骏; born 1991) is a Chinese football player * Penname:

Bo Yang Bo Yang ( zh , t = 柏楊 , s = 柏杨 , p = Bó Yáng ; 7 March 1920 – 29 April 2008), sometimes also erroneously called Bai Yang, was a Chinese people, Chinese historian, novelist, philosopher, poet based in Taiwan. He is also regarded as a ...

(柏楊; 1920 – 2008), was a Taiwanese poet, essayist and historian, real name Guo Dingsheng (郭定生)

拜 Bài

Pai Tzu-li Pai Tzu-li () was a Chinese Muslim general of the 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army), who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. He was the secretary to Ma Zhongying and his age was estimated to be about 40. He was then chief ...

, (拜自立; died 1937) Chinese Muslim General of the Republic of China

As part of a stagename/pseudonym

Bai Guang Shi Yongfen (; 27 June 1921 – 27 August 1999), known professionally as Bai Guang (; also credited as Pai Kwong, Bai Kwong and Bai Kwang), was a Chinese actress and singer. By the 1940s, she became one of the Seven Great Singing Stars. Early l ...

(白光 stagename) (1921–1999), birth name Shi Yongfen (史永芬) movie star and singer

Korean

Helen Pai Helen Pai is an American television writer, director, and producer. Pai works at Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, founded by close friend Amy Sherman-Palladino, and was co-producer of the television series ''Gilmore Girls'' and ''Bunheads' ...

, American television writer, director, and producer