Soua
A feminine name of Lao origin meaning "sour" or "spicy".
Name Census estimates that about 154 living Americans carry the first name Soua. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 65.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Soua today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Soua births was 1988 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Soua. 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.
People living today
154
~ 1 in 2,225,678 Americans
Peak year
1988
21 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1994 SSA rank
#7,648
Tracked since 1980
Census
Soua in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 842 people with the first name Soua, which placed it at #14,096 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#14,096
National first-name rank
People counted
842
842 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
97.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soua
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Soua is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and White (0.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Soua described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Soua at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.9% · 824
- Black or African American0.8% · 7
- White0.6% · 5
- Two or more races0.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 2
Gender
Gender distribution for Soua
Soua is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 161 total registrations, 56 (34.8%) were male and 105 (65.2%) were female.
Soua as a male name
- Ranked #7,648 in 1994
- 7 male births in 1994
- Peak: 1981 (8 births)
Soua as a female name
- Ranked #13,217 in 1994
- 6 female births in 1994
- Peak: 1990 (15 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Soua on both sides of the split. Of the 840 people counted with this name, 317 were male (37.7%) and 523 were female (62.3%).
Popularity
Soua: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Soua from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 90 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Soua remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Soua 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 Soua during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Souas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Soua
The given name Soua is believed to have originated from the Hmong language, which is spoken by the Hmong people, an ethnic group primarily found in Southeast Asia, particularly in the mountainous regions of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. The name Soua is thought to derive from the Hmong word "sau," which means "rainbow" or "colorful."
In Hmong culture, the name Soua is often associated with beauty, vibrancy, and the idea of embracing diversity. It is a name that has been in use among the Hmong people for centuries, with records of its existence dating back to the 16th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Soua can be found in the Hmong folktales and oral traditions. These stories often featured characters with the name Soua, representing virtues such as resilience, courage, and a deep connection with nature.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Soua. One of the most famous was Soua Pao (1901-1975), a revered Hmong leader and warrior who played a crucial role in the resistance against the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese forces during the Laotian Civil War and the Vietnam War. His bravery and leadership inspired many within the Hmong community.
Another significant figure was Soua Vang (1918-2007), a Hmong poet and author who dedicated her life to preserving and promoting Hmong language, culture, and traditions. Her works, which included poems, stories, and songs, served as a vital link between the past and present for the Hmong diaspora.
In the realm of education, Soua Xiong (1923-1999) made a significant impact as one of the first Hmong women to receive formal schooling. She went on to become a renowned teacher and advocate for education, inspiring countless Hmong children to pursue knowledge and embrace their cultural heritage.
The name Soua also gained recognition in the field of sports with Soua Lee (born 1978), a professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist from the United States. Her achievements in the ring brought pride and recognition to the Hmong community, showcasing the strength and resilience associated with the name.
Lastly, Soua Her (born 1962) is a notable figure in the Hmong American community, known for her advocacy work and efforts to empower Hmong women. She has been instrumental in raising awareness about issues faced by the Hmong diaspora and promoting cultural preservation and education.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Soua throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of Hmong culture and leaving a lasting impact on their respective fields.
People
Soua + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Soua 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
Soua: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Soua?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 154 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Soua 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 2,225,678 US residents.
Is Soua a common name?
We classify Soua as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 161 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Soua most popular?
The single biggest year for Soua was 1988, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Soua is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Soua in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 842 people with the name Soua, or 0.28 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,096 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Soua in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Soua?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Soua on both sides of the split. Of the 840 people counted with this name, 317 were male (37.7%) and 523 were female (62.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Soua?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Soua is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and White (0.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Soua most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Soua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.9% (824 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Soua in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Soua a female name?
Yes, 65.2% of people registered as Soua 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.
Is Soua still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Soua in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Soua can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many Americans are named Soua?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.