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

Seah, 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 Seah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seah in America

Seah is the 105079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seah surname appeared 170 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 Seah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seah 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 Seah

The surname SEAH is of Chinese origin, specifically from the Hokkien and Teochew dialects spoken in the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong. It is believed to have emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) when surnames became more widely adopted among the general population.

SEAH is a romanized spelling of the Chinese characters 佘 or 佥, which have various meanings such as "lofty" or "eminent." These characters were likely adopted as surnames by families who aspired to prestigious or noble status. The name may also have derived from the place name "Sia-khe" (夕阿), a historical town in Fujian province.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the SEAH surname can be found in genealogical records and local gazetteers from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), particularly in the regions around Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian. Variations in spelling, such as Sia, Sieh, or Seh, were also common due to different romanization systems.

One notable historical figure with the SEAH surname was Seah Hong Beng (1804-1868), a prominent Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) merchant and community leader in 19th-century Singapore. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who contributed to the establishment of several educational institutions and charitable organizations.

Another individual of note was Seah Liang Seah (1850-1925), a Chinese kapitan (community leader) and businessman in 19th-century Penang, British Malaya. He was influential in the local Chinese community and played a role in mediating between the British colonial authorities and the Chinese population.

In the literary realm, Seah Nah Liang (1919-2005) was a renowned Singaporean writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and prose works in Chinese. He was recognized for his contributions to the development of Singaporean literature and received the Cultural Medallion, the nation's highest honor for arts and culture, in 1979.

Seah Mui Kok (1906-1974) was a prominent Malaysian artist and pioneer in the Nanyang style of painting, which combined Chinese brush techniques with Southeast Asian subject matter. Her works were exhibited in Malaysia and Singapore, and she is recognized as one of the leading figures in the development of modern Southeast Asian art.

Seah Eu Chin (1873-1941) was a Chinese entrepreneur and community leader in 19th-century British Malaya. He founded the Seah Hong Leong Group, which became one of the largest business conglomerates in the region, with interests in banking, real estate, and other industries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seah

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

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 Seah 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 Seah 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 Seah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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