Surname Overview
The surname Sai is pronounced sài. It is a relatively rare surname in current use, with a broad distribution including Beijing, Shanghai, Yuncheng in Shanxi, and Jiuquan in Gansu.
Sai Surname
Surname profileSai / Sai
Origins
Three origins are recorded for the surname Sai: it was a surname of Tianzhu Hu people, namely the Shakya lineage; people in Nanyue bore the surname during the late Qin and early Han; and it descended from the Sai people recorded in the Book of Han's Account of the Western Regions.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The surname Sai is included in the Clan Records of the Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi. Sai Mojie is recorded in the Tang period, and a Sai clan was present in Bao'an Prefecture of Zhili during the Ming period.
Migration and Distribution
During the Ming period, the Sai surname was present in Bao'an Prefecture of Zhili, now Zhuolu in Hebei. It is also found today in Xintai, Shandong, Shanghai, Nanjing in Jiangsu, and Beijing.
Research Notes
Pronunciation Distinction
The surname Sai also has the pronunciation sè, under which it is a rare surname; sài is the pronunciation used for the current surname.
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