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

Siu, 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 Siu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Siu in America

Siu is the 6892nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Siu surname appeared 4,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Siu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Siu 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 Siu

The surname SIU originated from China, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to be derived from the Chinese word "siu," which means "small" or "little," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone of short stature or a younger sibling.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the SIU surname began to appear more frequently in various regional records and genealogical documents. One notable mention is found in the "Xin Wudai Shi," a historical text compiled during the Northern Song period, which references a military officer named SIU Zhongyu who served under Emperor Taizong.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the SIU surname gained prominence, particularly in the southern regions of China. Several historical figures bearing this name emerged, including SIU Guangqi (1562-1633), a prominent scholar-official and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of Chinese mathematics and astronomy.

Another notable individual was SIU Fengliang (1574-1646), a renowned playwright and poet from Zhejiang Province, whose works played a crucial role in the development of the traditional Chinese opera known as "Kunqu."

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the SIU surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as SIU Songling (1636-1718), a talented writer and compiler of the famous collection of strange tales known as "Liaozhai Zhiyi," which has had a lasting influence on Chinese literature.

It is also worth mentioning SIU Qing (1718-1763), a celebrated landscape painter and calligrapher whose works were highly sought after and are now housed in various museums and private collections around the world.

In more recent centuries, the SIU surname has spread to various regions beyond China, with notable individuals like SIU King Har (1914-1965), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Hong Kong, and SIU Kam Wen (1939-2016), a respected archaeologist and historian who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Chinese cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Siu

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

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

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

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