Cài is a
Chinese surname that derives from the name of the ancient
Cai state. It is regionally more common in China's
Fujian Province and in countries settled by ethnic Chinese from that province than in China as a whole. The surname is the 34th most common surname in China, but the 9th most common in
Taiwan, where it is usually romanized as
Tsai, and the 8th most common in
Singapore, where it is usually romanized as
Chua. It is also a common name in Hong Kong where it is romanized as
Choy,
Choi or
Tsoi, in Macao and Malaysia, it's spelled as
Choi, in Malaysia and the Philippines as
Chua, in Thailand as
Chuo (ฉั่ว). Moreover, it is also romanized in Cambodia as either
Chhay,
Chhuor or
Chhor among Chinese Cambodians.