Find out how popular the last name Sau is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sau.

Sau, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sau in America

Sau is the 52736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sau surname appeared 393 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sau to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sau

The surname Sau originated in North India, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sau', meaning 'hundred', and was likely used as a distinguishing name for someone who owned or managed a large estate or property with many workers or tenants.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sau can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document served as an administrative manual and included details about the empire's revenue system, military organization, and other administrative matters.

The name Sau appears to have been particularly common in the regions of Punjab and Haryana, where landowners and agricultural communities flourished during the Mughal era. Some of the earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing the surname Sau include Rai Sau, a prominent landowner in the village of Bhatinda in the late 16th century, and Malik Sau Khan, a military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in the early 17th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sau surname was also found in various historical records and manuscripts from the region, including land revenue records and court documents. One notable individual from this period was Diwan Sau Mal, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

In the 19th century, the Sau surname became associated with several notable individuals, such as Raja Sau Karan Singh, a influential landowner and philanthropist from Patiala who contributed significantly to the development of education and infrastructure in the region. Another prominent figure was Begum Sau Tara Begum, a prominent social reformer and advocate for women's rights in the late 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Sau include Swami Sau Devi, a renowned spiritual leader and founder of the Sau Ashram in the early 20th century, and Sau Raj Singh, a renowned artist and sculptor from Punjab who was known for his intricate woodcarvings and metalwork.

The surname Sau continues to be found in various parts of North India, particularly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where it has a long and rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sau

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sau.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sau was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sau was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sau, please contact us.

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