Pei

Pei is primarily a Chinese surname, most commonly romanized from the character 裴 (péi). It is also encountered as a given-name element in some East Asian naming traditions. The surname is present among Chinese communities around the world and has several variant spellings in different dialects and historical transliterations.

The most internationally known bearer of the name is Ieoh Ming Pei, usually written as I. M. Pei, a Chinese-born American architect. His work includes the Louvre Pyramid in Paris (1989), the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong (1982), and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as well as the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. Pei’s career spanned more than six decades, earning him numerous awards and a lasting influence on modern architecture.

Outside of personal names, the uppercase abbreviation PEI is used for Prince Edward Island, a Canadian province. While not a linguistic variant of the name Pei, the term frequently appears in travel, geography, and regional references. The Pei surname and its notable bearers illustrate the cross-border cultural reach of Chinese family names in the contemporary world.