2000
#12,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Saelee
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Shǐ (史), meaning "historian" or "history."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,159 Americans carry the last name Saelee. That puts it at #11,027 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,501 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saelee surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,501
Census rank
#11,027
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,755 bearers of the surname Saelee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11027th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saelee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saelee
The surname SAELEE originated in Thailand and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Thai words "sae" meaning "silk" and "lee" meaning "to weave". This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals or families involved in the silk weaving trade or industry.
SAELEE is a relatively uncommon surname, but it can be found in historical records from various regions of Thailand, particularly in the central and northeastern parts of the country. One of the earliest known references to the name SAELEE can be found in a 16th-century manuscript detailing the genealogy of a family of silk weavers in the city of Ayutthaya, which was the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom at that time.
In the 17th century, there are records of a SAELEE family residing in the town of Khorat, located in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of northeastern Thailand. This family was known for their skilled craftsmanship in producing intricate silk textiles, which were highly valued by the local nobility and royal court.
The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent SAELEE figure named Phra Saelee Wongse (1731-1809), who was a skilled silk weaver and textile artist. His exceptional work gained him recognition and patronage from the royal court of King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty. Phra Saelee Wongse's creations are still celebrated and displayed in various museums and cultural exhibitions in Thailand today.
Another notable SAELEE individual was Chao Saelee Srisawat (1842-1912), a respected scholar and educator who played a significant role in modernizing Thailand's education system during the reign of King Rama V. He was instrumental in establishing the country's first teacher training college and introducing new teaching methodologies.
In the early 20th century, Somchai SAELEE (1906-1989) was a renowned artist and silk painter. His intricate works, which often depicted traditional Thai scenes and cultural motifs, are highly regarded and can be found in many prestigious art collections around the world.
While the surname SAELEE may not be as prevalent as some other Thai surnames, its historical roots and associations with the silk weaving industry and cultural heritage make it a distinctive and significant name within Thai society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saelee
Among Census respondents with the surname Saelee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Saelee bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Saelee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.9% · 2,559
- Two or more races2.8% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 63
- White1.3% · 37
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saelee
Saelee appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,129
-121 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,489 places
2020
#11,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,755
+626 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 3,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,624 | 2,250 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,113 | 2,129 | 0.72 | -121 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 1,489 places |
| 2020 | #11,027 | 2,755 | 0.92 | +626 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 3,086 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Saelee surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,113 | #11,027 | 21.9% |
| Count | 2,129 | 2,755 | 29.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.92 | 28.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saelee bearers went from 2,129 to 2,755 (+29.4% change). The surname moved up 3,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,113 to #11,027.
FAQ
Saelee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saelee?
Name Census estimates that about 3,159 living Americans carry the surname Saelee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,501 residents.
How common is Saelee?
Saelee ranks #11,027 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,755 people with the surname Saelee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,159), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Saelee.
Has Saelee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saelee went from 2,129 recorded bearers to 2,755. That is an increase of 626 (+29.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,113 to #11,027.
What does the Census say about the background of Saelee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saelee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Saelee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,559 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saelee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Saelee (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Saelee mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Shǐ (史), meaning "historian" or "history." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Saelee (0.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Saelee?
See how many Americans have the surname Saelee on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.