Last name origin & meaning: Chinese:  from the name of the former state of Cai, in
present-day Henan province. When the Zhou dynasty displaced the Shang
dynasty in 1122 bc, the defeated Shang were allowed to rule
in the area of their old capital of Yin, under the stewardship of Zhou
appointees. However, these Zhou appointees, among them Cai Shu, the
14th son of Wen Wang and younger brother of the new king, joined
forces with the Shang in revolt. After the rebellion was suppressed,
Cai Shu was banished, but his son was granted the state of Cai along
with the title Earl of Cai. His descendants later adopted the place
name Cai as their surname. Other spellings of this name, due to
dialect differences and variation in Romanization, include
Tsai, Choi, Choy, and Tsoi.
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