2000
#68,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 267
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Setiawan
A combination of "setia" (loyal) and "wan" (person), referring to a loyal person or devoted servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 517 Americans carry the last name Setiawan. That puts it at #50,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 662,968 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Setiawan 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
517
1 in 662,968
Census rank
#50,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
451
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 451 bearers of the surname Setiawan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Setiawan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Setiawan
The surname Setiawan originated in Indonesia during the early modern era, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the Javanese words "seti" meaning "loyal" and "awan" meaning "servant," thus signifying a loyal servant or attendant. The name was initially borne by individuals who served in the royal courts or households of the Javanese nobility.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Setiawan can be found in historical documents and manuscripts from the Mataram Sultanate, a powerful Javanese kingdom that ruled much of central and eastern Java between the 16th and 18th centuries. These records often mentioned individuals with the title "Setiawan" serving as advisors, administrators, or attendants to the sultan and his court.
One notable example is Raden Ngabehi Setiawan, a prominent courtier and advisor to Sultan Agung, who reigned over the Mataram Sultanate from 1613 to 1645. Raden Ngabehi Setiawan played a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the sultanate during this period.
Another historical figure bearing the surname Setiawan was Ki Setiawan, a revered Javanese scholar and poet who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Ki Setiawan was renowned for his contributions to Javanese literature, particularly his works on Islamic mysticism and Javanese philosophy.
In the 19th century, the name Setiawan gained wider recognition beyond the confines of the royal courts. Raden Mas Arya Setiawan (1808-1876) was a prominent Javanese aristocrat and regent who played a significant role in the administration of the Yogyakarta Sultanate during the Dutch colonial era.
Another notable figure was Raden Rara Setiawan (1835-1904), a Javanese noblewoman and activist who fought against the Dutch colonial policies that restricted the rights and privileges of the Javanese aristocracy. Her resistance efforts earned her a reputation as a champion of Javanese cultural and political autonomy.
As the Setiawan surname spread beyond its aristocratic origins, it became more widely adopted by commoners and families from various walks of life across Java and other parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Today, the name Setiawan remains a common surname in Indonesia, particularly among individuals of Javanese descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Setiawan
Among Census respondents with the surname Setiawan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Setiawan 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 Setiawan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.4% · 412
- White4.4% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 7
- Two or more races1.6% · 7
- Black or African American0.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Setiawan
Setiawan 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
#52,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 396
+129 bearers (+48.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 16,399 places
2020
#50,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 451
+55 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 2,225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,782 | 267 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,383 | 396 | 0.13 | +129 bearers (+48.3%) | Up 16,399 places |
| 2020 | #50,158 | 451 | 0.15 | +55 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 2,225 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 Setiawan 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 | #52,383 | #50,158 | 4.2% |
| Count | 396 | 451 | 13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.15 | 16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Setiawan bearers went from 396 to 451 (+13.9% change). The surname moved up 2,225 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,383 to #50,158.
FAQ
Setiawan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Setiawan?
Name Census estimates that about 517 living Americans carry the surname Setiawan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 662,968 residents.
How common is Setiawan?
Setiawan ranks #50,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 451 people with the surname Setiawan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Setiawan.
Has Setiawan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Setiawan went from 396 recorded bearers to 451. That is an increase of 55 (+13.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,383 to #50,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Setiawan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Setiawan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Setiawan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (412 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Setiawan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.4%), White (4.4%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Setiawan (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 Setiawan mean?
A combination of "setia" (loyal) and "wan" (person), referring to a loyal person or devoted servant. 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 Setiawan (0.15 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 have the surname Setiawan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.