2000
#17,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,490
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Situ
A Chinese occupational surname referring to an officer in charge of managing a department or government bureau.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,045 Americans carry the last name Situ. That puts it at #8,907 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Situ 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
4.0K
1 in 84,735
Census rank
#8,907
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,527 bearers of the surname Situ in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8907th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Situ, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.0%. The next largest groups are White (0.6%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Situ
The surname SITU has its origins in China, with the earliest known references dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). It is believed to have originated from the word "shitu" which means "estate" or "landed property" in the Chinese language.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), the SITU surname was particularly prevalent in the Shandong province of eastern China. Records from this period show the name appearing in various administrative documents and local registers.
In the early 11th century, a manuscript known as the "Xingtian Ji" (Record of Surnames) mentions the SITU surname as being associated with the Shanxi and Henan provinces. This suggests that the name had spread to other regions of China by this time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the SITU surname was Situ Huaizhi (1022 - 1085 AD), a renowned scholar and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. He is credited with establishing a distinct calligraphic style that influenced many subsequent generations of artists.
Another notable figure was Situ Qiedao (1298 - 1368 AD), a military leader and strategist who played a significant role in the defense of the Yuan Dynasty against the invading Mongol forces. His exploits are documented in various historical texts from the period.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), the SITU surname was prominently associated with the city of Suzhou, which was a center of culture and commerce. One of the most famous individuals from this era was Situ Tan (1549 - 1604 AD), a renowned painter and poet who was highly influential in the Suzhou art scene.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912 AD), the SITU surname was found in various regions of China, including Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces. One notable individual from this period was Situ Xingxing (1748 - 1825 AD), a respected scholar and author who wrote extensively on Chinese philosophy and literature.
Throughout its long history, the SITU surname has been associated with various place names and old spellings, such as Shitu, Situ, and Sidu. It has also been linked to several famous individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as art, literature, military strategy, and scholarship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Situ
Among Census respondents with the surname Situ, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.0%. The next largest groups are White (0.6%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Situ 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 Situ surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander98.0% · 3,457
- White0.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- Two or more races0.4% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Situ
Situ 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
#11,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,732
+1,242 bearers (+83.4%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 5,937 places
2020
#8,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,527
+795 bearers (+29.1%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 2,605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,449 | 1,490 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,512 | 2,732 | 0.93 | +1,242 bearers (+83.4%) | Up 5,937 places |
| 2020 | #8,907 | 3,527 | 1.18 | +795 bearers (+29.1%) | Up 2,605 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 Situ 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 | #11,512 | #8,907 | 22.6% |
| Count | 2,732 | 3,527 | 29.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 1.18 | 26.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Situ bearers went from 2,732 to 3,527 (+29.1% change). The surname moved up 2,605 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,512 to #8,907.
FAQ
Situ surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Situ?
Name Census estimates that about 4,045 living Americans carry the surname Situ. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,735 residents.
How common is Situ?
Situ ranks #8,907 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,527 people with the surname Situ. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,045), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Situ.
Has Situ become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Situ went from 2,732 recorded bearers to 3,527. That is an increase of 795 (+29.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,512 to #8,907.
What does the Census say about the background of Situ?
Among Census respondents with the surname Situ, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.0%. The next largest groups are White (0.6%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Situ in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (3,457 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Situ appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (98.0%), White (0.6%), Black (0.5%). 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 Situ (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 Situ mean?
A Chinese occupational surname referring to an officer in charge of managing a department or government bureau. 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 Situ (1.18 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 are called Situ?
Find out how many people have the surname Situ on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.