Ieoh

Ieoh is a masculine given name of Chinese origin. It is best known today as the given name of the Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, who is widely known by his initials I. M. Pei.

The form “Ieoh” appears in early biographical materials and is sometimes presented as the full given name; the surname Pei is widely recognized as the family name. The name is relatively rare outside of references to Pei, and most contemporary discussions use the initials I. M. Pei.

Ieoh Ming Pei (1917–2019) was born in Guangzhou, China, and later pursued education in the United States at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. He established a long and influential career in modern architecture and was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1983 and the AIA Gold Medal in 1979. His notable works include the Louvre Pyramid in Paris (1989), the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong (completed 1989), and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston (1979).

Pei’s work is characterized by the integration of modernist forms with historical contexts and by careful use of light and geometry to shape public spaces. The name Ieoh is primarily recognized through Pei; outside of references to him, it is rarely used in contemporary naming.