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Gai Family History

Gai Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蓋 meaning ‘lid’ or ‘build’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Gai (蓋) the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) granted to an official in the state of Qi during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). (ii) adopted as the surname by the Ge Lou (蓋樓) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).

Italian (Piedmont): from French surname Gai Gay literally ‘cheerful’; in some cases it is possible a nickname from dialect word gai ‘jay’.

Italian (Tuscany): patronymic or plural form of Gaio Gaia.

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


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Where is the Gai family from?

You can see how Gai families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gai family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Gai families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 11 Gai families living in British Columbia. This was about 69% of all the recorded Gai's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Gai families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gai surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gai ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Gai. 34% of Gai men worked as a Laborer.

View Census Data for Gai | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    34%
  • Common Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Proprietor
    17%

What Gai family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Gai. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gai census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gai

Passenger Lists

There are 955 immigration records available for the last name Gai. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gai immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Gai. For the veterans among your Gai ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gai military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gai family history

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What is the average Gai lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Gai life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Gai in 1955 was 57, and 93 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gai

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gai ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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