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

Set, 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 Set surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Set in America

Set is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Set surname appeared 164 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 Set.

We can also compare 2010 data for Set 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 Set

The surname Set is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "set" meaning "a place for a dwelling or a seat." It emerged as a surname in the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.

The name was initially used to identify individuals who lived near a particular seat or dwelling place. It was likely taken from place names that incorporated the word "set," such as Seton, Seatonbury, or Settrington.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Set can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1166, which mentions a Hugo de Seta. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include references to individuals with the surname Set, such as Willelmus atte Sete and Johannes del Sete.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries related to places with names containing the root "set," suggesting that the surname may have originated from these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Set throughout history include:

1. John Set (c. 1510-1585), an English composer and organist during the Tudor period.
2. William Set (1564-1627), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Norwich.
3. Thomas Set (1633-1700), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham.
4. Elizabeth Set (1675-1758), an English poet and writer known for her collection of religious poems.
5. George Set (1825-1901), a British engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early steam engines.

The surname Set has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Setterington in Yorkshire, Seton in East Lothian, Scotland, and Seatonbury in Hertfordshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Set

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

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

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

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