Tsui is a surname. It is an alternative transcription of two Chinese surnames, namely Cuī () and Xú (). Origins Tsui may be an alternative transliteration of two separate Chinese surnames, listed below by their Hanyu Pinyin transliteration (which reflects the Mandarin pronunciation): Cuī (), which originated as a toponymic surname from a fief by that name in the state of Qi; a grandson of Jiang Ziya renounced his claim to the throne and went to live in that fief, and his descendants took its name as their surname. It is spelled Ts'ui in the Wade–Giles system of transliterating Mandarin (which remains common in Taiwan and was used until the 20th century in other regions). The spelling Tsui may also be based on the Cantonese pronunciation (). Xú (), which originated as a toponymic surname from the ancient state of Xu, adopted by the descendants of Boyi after the state was annexed by the state of Chu. The spelling Tsui is based on its Cantonese pronunciation (); it is nearly homophonous with the above surname in Cantonese aside from the differing tone. Statistics The 2010 United States Census found 3,168 people with the surname Tsui, making it the 10,180th-most-common name in the country. This represented an increase from 2,725 (10,748th-most-common) in the 2000 Census. In both censuses, more than nine-tenths of the bearers of the surname identified as Asian, and roughly two percent as White. People Academics Daniel C. Tsui (; born 1939), Henan-born American physicist Lap-Chee Tsui (; born 1950), Shanghai-born Canadian geneticist Tsui Tin-Chau (; born 1958), Hong Kong-born Dutch teacher Tsui Ming-sum (), Hong Kong social scientist Athletes Tsui Fang-hsuan (born 1984), Taiwanese taekwondo practitioner Tsui Wan Yi (born 1984), Hong Kong fencer Tsui Chi Ho (; born 1990), Hong Kong sprinter Tsui Wang Kit (; born 1997), Hong Kong footballer Entertainment industry Tsui Hsiao-ping (; 1923–2017), Jinan-born radio personality in Taiwan Tsui Fu-sheng (; 1931–2013), Taiwanese actor Tsui Ping (; born 1938), Harbin-born Mandarin-language pop singer in Hong Kong Paula Tsui (; born 1949), Hong Kong singer Tsui Hark (; born 1950), Hong Kong film director Tsui Siu-ming (; born 1953), Hong Kong actor Elvis Tsui (; born 1961), Hong Kong actor Tsui Wing (; born 1974), Hong Kong actor Kate Tsui (; born 1979), Hong Kong actress Roy Tsui (; born 1980), Hong Kong lyricist Sam Tsui (born 1989), American singer-songwriter Other Tsui Tsin-tong (;