Our answer
China’s 38th most common surname 蔡
Written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese; spelled Tsai in Taiwan, Choi in Hong Kong and Chua in South-East Asia
The short answer
Cai (蔡, Cài) is a Chinese surname, ranked 38th in China’s 2019 Ministry of Public Security list and 9th in Taiwan. It comes from the ancient state of Cai, in today’s Henan. Spellings include Tsai (Taiwan), Choi or Choy (Hong Kong) and Chua (Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines).
| In Chinese | 蔡, written the same in simplified and traditional characters |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Cài (fourth tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | No. 38 (Ministry of Public Security); 9th in Taiwan |
| Other spellings | Tsai (Taiwan), Choi, Choy or Tsoi (Hong Kong), Chua or Chuah (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines), Chai, Tjoa (Indonesia), Thái (Vietnam), Chae (Korea) |
| Meaning of the character | The name of an ancient state of the Zhou dynasty; today the character is used almost only as a surname |
| Largest in | Guangdong (2013); also common in Fujian and Taiwan |
| Population | About 7.01 million, 0.53% of China’s population (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
Origins of the Cai surname
The name comes from the state of Cai, centred on what is now Shangcai, near Zhumadian in Henan. Tradition says that around 1046 BC Ji Du, the fifth son of King Wen of Zhou, was made its marquis, and he became known as Cai Shu Du, ‘Uncle Du of Cai’. Today the character 蔡 is used almost only as a surname.
After the death of his brother King Wu, Cai Shu joined the rebellion of the ‘Three Guards’ against the regent, the Duke of Zhou. It was put down and he was exiled, but King Cheng later restored his son as ruler of Cai. The state was conquered by Chu in 447 BC, and when family names spread to all classes under the Qin, many people from the old state took Cai as their surname.
Later migrations carried the name south. During the Huang Chao rebellion in the 870s, Cai families moved to Guangdong and Fujian, and in the 17th century Koxinga moved Cai officers and their families to Taiwan. That southern history explains why the name is so common among overseas Chinese today.[1][2][5]
How Cai is spelled around the world
Because so many Cai families come from Fujian and Guangdong, the name is usually met abroad in a southern Chinese spelling rather than as Cai.[1]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Cai | Mainland China | Mandarin, pinyin |
| Tsai | Taiwan | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| Choi, Choy, Tsoi | Hong Kong, Macau; Cantonese speakers in Malaysia and Singapore | Cantonese |
| Chua, Chuah | Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines | Hokkien, Teochew |
| Chai | Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei | Hakka |
| Toy, Toi | Malaysia, Singapore | Taishanese |
| Tjoa, Tjhoa | Indonesia | Hokkien or Teochew, Dutch-era spelling |
| Thái | Vietnam | Sino-Vietnamese |
| Chae | Korea | Korean reading of the same character |
In the Philippines the name also survives inside longer Hispanicised surnames such as Chuachiaco and Tuazon, formed from the surname, a given-name character and the Hokkien honorific -co.
Where the Cai surname is most common
Cai was the 38th most common surname in mainland China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. The 100 most common surnames in that list together cover 85.9% of China’s registered population.
Fuxi Institution figures for 2013 put the number of people called Cai at about 7.01 million, or 0.53% of the population, with Guangdong the province with the most. The name is far more common in Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan, and in places settled by their emigrants, than elsewhere in China.
Overseas it ranks much higher. Cai was the 9th most common surname in Taiwan in 2016, at 2.91% of the population. As Chua it was the 8th most common Chinese surname in Singapore in 2000, and the 6th most common surname among Chinese Filipinos in 2020.[1][3][4]
Famous people named Cai
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Cai Lun | 蔡伦 | Han dynasty official traditionally credited with inventing paper |
| Cai Wenji | 蔡文姬 | Han dynasty poet and composer |
| Cai Xiang | 蔡襄 | Song dynasty calligrapher, scholar and poet |
| Cai Guo-Qiang | 蔡国强 | Contemporary artist and curator |
| Tsai Ming-liang | 蔡明亮 | Film director |
| Jolin Tsai | 蔡依林 | Taiwanese pop singer |
| Charlene Choi | 蔡卓妍 | Hong Kong singer and actress, member of the duo Twins |
| Leon O. Chua | 蔡少棠 | Engineer and professor who invented Chua’s circuit |
Questions readers ask
What does the Cai surname mean?
It refers to the ancient state of Cai, which existed under the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan. Today the character 蔡 is used almost only as a surname.
Is Cai a Chinese last name?
Yes. Cai (蔡) is a Chinese family name, the 38th most common in mainland China in 2019 and the 9th most common in Taiwan.
How common is Cai in China?
It ranked 38th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. Fuxi Institution figures for 2013 put the number at about 7.01 million people, 0.53% of the population, with the most in Guangdong.
How do you pronounce Cai?
Cài, with a short, falling fourth tone. The pinyin c sounds like the ‘ts’ in ‘cats’, and ai rhymes with ‘eye’, so it sounds roughly like ‘tsai’.
Is Tsai the same as Cai?
Yes. Tsai is the Wade–Giles spelling of 蔡 used in Taiwan, as in the singer Jolin Tsai and the director Tsai Ming-liang.
Is Chua a Chinese surname?
Yes. Chua is the Hokkien and Teochew spelling of 蔡, common in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. In Indonesia older spellings such as Tjoa are also found.
Is Choi a Chinese or Korean surname?
Both, but they are different names. In Hong Kong and Macau, Choi usually spells 蔡 (Cai). In Korea, Choi is 崔, a separate surname.
Who is the most famous person named Cai?
Historically, Cai Lun, traditionally credited with inventing paper. Today, the artist Cai Guo-Qiang, the singer Jolin Tsai and the Hong Kong star Charlene Choi are among the best known.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Cai (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Cai · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (Ministry of Public Security 2019 ranking; Fuxi Institution 2013 figures; Taiwan 2016; Chinese Filipinos 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 公安部发布最新百家姓 (20 January 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- MDBG Chinese–English dictionary, 蔡 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction