2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sengsouvanh
A surname of Lao origin meaning "victorious lion".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Sengsouvanh. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sengsouvanh 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Sengsouvanh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sengsouvanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sengsouvanh
The surname "SENGSOUVANH" has its origins in Laos, a country located in Southeast Asia. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th century, when the region was dominated by various Lao kingdoms and principalities.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "SENGSOUVANH" can be found in ancient manuscripts and chronicles from the former Kingdom of Lan Xang, which ruled over parts of modern-day Laos and parts of northeastern Thailand. The name is thought to be derived from the Lao words "seng" (meaning "monk" or "ascetic") and "souvanh" (meaning "gold" or "golden"), potentially referring to a person of spiritual or noble standing.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name appeared in various administrative records and legal documents from the region, often associated with influential families or individuals holding positions of authority within the Buddhist monastic order or royal court. One notable figure bearing the name "SENGSOUVANH" was Phra Sangkharat Sengsouvanh, a revered Buddhist monk who lived in the late 18th century and played a significant role in preserving Lao literary and cultural traditions.
In the 19th century, the name was found in historical records from the former Kingdom of Vientiane, which encompassed parts of modern-day Laos and Thailand. One prominent individual with the surname "SENGSOUVANH" was Thao Sengsouvanh, a high-ranking official and advisor to the King of Vientiane during the 1830s.
As the centuries progressed, the name "SENGSOUVANH" continued to be associated with distinguished families and individuals in Laos. In the early 20th century, Kham Sengsouvanh was a renowned Lao writer and poet who played a pivotal role in the development of modern Lao literature.
Another notable figure with the surname "SENGSOUVANH" was Khamsing Sengsouvanh, a prominent Lao politician and diplomat who served as the first Prime Minister of Laos after the country gained independence from France in the mid-20th century.
While the name "SENGSOUVANH" is primarily associated with Laos, it has also been found in neighboring regions of Thailand and Cambodia, likely due to historical migration patterns and cultural exchanges between these countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sengsouvanh
Among Census respondents with the surname Sengsouvanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sengsouvanh 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 Sengsouvanh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- White1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sengsouvanh
Sengsouvanh appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 989 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 Sengsouvanh 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 | #152,628 | #151,639 | 0.6% |
| Count | 107 | 107 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sengsouvanh bearers went from 107 to 107 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 989 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #151,639.
FAQ
Sengsouvanh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sengsouvanh?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Sengsouvanh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Sengsouvanh?
Sengsouvanh ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Sengsouvanh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sengsouvanh.
Has Sengsouvanh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sengsouvanh went from 107 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Sengsouvanh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sengsouvanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and White (1.9%). 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 Sengsouvanh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sengsouvanh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.9%), Hispanic (6.5%), White (1.9%). 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 Sengsouvanh (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 Sengsouvanh mean?
A surname of Lao origin meaning "victorious lion". 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 Sengsouvanh (0.04 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 common is the surname Sengsouvanh?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Sengsouvanh at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.