So
A simple syllabic name of Korean origin meaning "noble" or "good".
Name Census estimates that about 50 living Americans carry the first name So. It is a predominantly female name (90.4% of registrations). The average person named So today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of So births was 1993 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for So. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name So. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
50
~ 1 in 6,855,087 Americans
Peak year
1993
8 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2017 SSA rank
#10,456
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for So
So leans heavily female at 90.4% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
So as a male name
- Ranked #13,964 in 2017
- 5 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2017 (5 births)
So as a female name
- Ranked #10,456 in 1993
- 8 female births in 1993
- Peak: 1993 (8 births)
Popularity
So: popularity over time
The SSA tracks So from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 22 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
So by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name So during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of So
The given name So has its origins in ancient China, dating back to the 3rd century BCE. It is a Chinese unisex name that is believed to be derived from the Middle Chinese word "su," which means "plain" or "simple." In its earliest forms, the name was written using the Chinese characters 素 or 疏.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), the name So gained popularity among the upper classes of Chinese society. It was often given to children as a reminder to live a life of simplicity and humility. The name can be found in various historical records and texts from this period, including the "Book of Han" and the "Records of the Grand Historian."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name So was So Qian, a renowned Chinese philosopher and historian who lived from 145 BCE to 86 BCE. He is best known for his work "Records of the Grand Historian," which is considered one of the most influential historical texts in Chinese literature.
Another notable figure with the name So was So Ying, a female poet and calligrapher who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). She was renowned for her elegant and graceful calligraphy style, and her poems were widely celebrated for their lyrical beauty.
In the 12th century, a Buddhist monk named So Dogen introduced the Soto school of Zen Buddhism to Japan. His teachings and writings, particularly the work "Shobogenzo," had a profound impact on the development of Zen Buddhism in Japan and beyond.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), a famous Chinese artist and calligrapher named So Shun-Leung gained widespread recognition for his landscape paintings and calligraphic works. His paintings are celebrated for their delicate brushwork and their ability to capture the essence of nature.
In more recent history, So Nyun Ga, a Korean freedom fighter and independence activist, played a significant role in the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century. She was a prominent figure in the March 1st Movement of 1919 and was imprisoned for her activities.
Notable bearers
Famous people named So
People
So + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with So as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
So: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named So?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 50 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for So going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 6,855,087 US residents.
Is So a common name?
We classify So as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 52 babies have been registered with this name.
When was So most popular?
The single biggest year for So was 1993, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living So is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is So a female name?
Yes, 90.4% of people registered as So in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.