2000
#8,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Siu
A Chinese surname meaning "long life," "longevity," or "old age," derived from the Chinese character 壽 (shòu).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,894 Americans carry the last name Siu. That puts it at #6,368 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,153 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Siu 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Siu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,153
Census rank
#6,368
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,140 bearers of the surname Siu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6368th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Siu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Siu
Among Census respondents with the surname Siu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Siu 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 Siu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.7% · 4,300
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 463
- Two or more races3.9% · 203
- White3.1% · 157
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Siu
Siu 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
#6,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,877
+1,100 bearers (+29.1%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 1,192 places
2020
#6,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,140
+263 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Up 524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,084 | 3,777 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,892 | 4,877 | 1.65 | +1,100 bearers (+29.1%) | Up 1,192 places |
| 2020 | #6,368 | 5,140 | 1.72 | +263 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 524 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 Siu 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 | #6,892 | #6,368 | 7.6% |
| Count | 4,877 | 5,140 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.65 | 1.72 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Siu bearers went from 4,877 to 5,140 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 524 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,892 to #6,368.
FAQ
Siu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Siu?
Name Census estimates that about 5,894 living Americans carry the surname Siu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,153 residents.
How common is Siu?
Siu ranks #6,368 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,140 people with the surname Siu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,894), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Siu.
Has Siu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Siu went from 4,877 recorded bearers to 5,140. That is an increase of 263 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,892 to #6,368.
What does the Census say about the background of Siu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Siu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Siu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (4,300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Siu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.7%), Hispanic (9.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Siu (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 Siu mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "long life," "longevity," or "old age," derived from the Chinese character 壽 (shòu). 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 Siu (1.72 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 Siu?
Want to know how many people are called Siu? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.