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

Seto, 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 Seto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seto in America

Seto is the 11229th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seto surname appeared 2,814 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Seto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seto 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 Seto

The surname Seto is believed to have originated in Japan, where it has been in use for centuries. The name is thought to derive from the Japanese word "se," meaning "swift," and "to," meaning "wand" or "baton." Thus, Seto may have initially referred to someone skilled in wielding a staff or baton, perhaps as part of a martial art or traditional performance.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Seto can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) records of a samurai family from the Seto region of present-day Aichi Prefecture. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, referring to those hailing from the Seto area.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Seto surname gained prominence through the work of Seto Riku (1604-1680), a renowned potter and founder of the Seto ceramic tradition. His innovative glazing techniques and distinctive styles helped establish Seto as a major center of pottery production in Japan.

Another notable figure was Seto Shozaburo (1672-1733), a skilled swordsmith from Kyoto who contributed to the development of the distinctive Japanese sword known as the katana. His works were highly prized by samurai warriors during the Edo period.

In the realm of literature, Seto Naiwaku (1787-1853) was a prominent scholar and poet of the late Edo period, known for his contributions to the study of classical Japanese literature and his own poetic works.

Moving into the modern era, Seto Hiroshi (1892-1961) was a celebrated architect renowned for his innovative designs that blended traditional Japanese elements with modern aesthetics. His works, including the Tokyo Prince Hotel and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, left a lasting impact on Japanese architecture.

While the Seto surname originated in Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply tied to Japanese culture and tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seto

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

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

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

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