2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sisomphou
A Thai surname likely derived from the Sanskrit words "śiśumāra" meaning "child killer", potentially referring to a historical occupation or event.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Sisomphou. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sisomphou 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Sisomphou in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisomphou, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and White (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sisomphou
The surname SISOMPHOU has its origins in Laos, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Lao words "si", meaning "to go", and "somphou", meaning "prosperous" or "wealthy". This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who traveled widely for trade or other business endeavors.
The earliest known records of the SISOMPHOU name can be found in ancient Lao manuscripts and inscriptions from the Kingdom of Lan Xang, which ruled over much of present-day Laos and parts of Thailand and Cambodia between the 14th and 18th centuries. One notable figure bearing this surname was Phra Sisomphou Khamphong, a highly respected Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the late 16th century and authored several influential texts on Lao culture and religion.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, as the Lao kingdoms expanded their territories and established closer ties with neighboring regions, the SISOMPHOU name began to spread beyond its original homeland. Historical records from this period mention individuals with this surname in various parts of what is now Thailand, particularly in the northeastern regions that were once part of the Lao kingdoms.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Kham Sisomphou played a significant role in the resistance against the Siamese (Thai) annexation of the Kingdom of Vientiane, one of the last remaining Lao principalities. Kham Sisomphou was a skilled military leader and diplomat who fought to preserve Lao autonomy and negotiated with the Siamese authorities on behalf of his people.
Another notable bearer of the SISOMPHOU surname was Thao Sisomphou Khamphong, a Lao prince and governor of the Luang Prabang region in the early 20th century. He was known for his efforts to promote education and preserve Lao cultural traditions during a period of increasing French colonial influence in the region.
Across the centuries, the SISOMPHOU name has been associated with various professions and social strata, from Buddhist monks and scholars to military leaders, diplomats, and members of the Lao nobility. While its origins can be traced back to the ancient Lao kingdoms, the name has continued to be passed down through generations, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the history of Laos and the broader Indochina region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sisomphou
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisomphou, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and White (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sisomphou 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 Sisomphou surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.6% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 10
- White5.3% · 6
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sisomphou
Sisomphou 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 8,412 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 Sisomphou 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 | #154,907 | #146,495 | 5.4% |
| Count | 105 | 114 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sisomphou bearers went from 105 to 114 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 8,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #146,495.
FAQ
Sisomphou surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sisomphou?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Sisomphou. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Sisomphou?
Sisomphou ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Sisomphou. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Sisomphou.
Has Sisomphou become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sisomphou went from 105 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 9 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Sisomphou?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisomphou, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and White (5.3%). 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 Sisomphou in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sisomphou appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.6%), Hispanic (8.8%), White (5.3%). 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 Sisomphou (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 Sisomphou mean?
A Thai surname likely derived from the Sanskrit words "śiśumāra" meaning "child killer", potentially referring to a historical occupation or event. 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 Sisomphou (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 many people have the last name Sisomphou?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Sisomphou on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.