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

So, 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 So surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of So in America

So is the 4749th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The So surname appeared 7,456 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname So.

We can also compare 2010 data for So 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 So

The surname "So" is believed to have originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "su" which means "plain" or "simple". The name likely originated in the Jiangsu province of eastern China, where the family name was first recorded.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname "So" can be found in the Book of Tang, a historical record of the Tang Dynasty. The book mentions a prominent scholar and official named So Xingzhi who lived during the 8th century AD.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname "So" gained popularity among the scholarly class. Several notable figures with this surname emerged, including So Shunqing (1008-1048), a renowned poet and calligrapher.

In the 13th century, a branch of the So family migrated to the Guangdong province of southern China. This led to the emergence of various regional variations of the name, such as "Sou" and "Sow".

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "So" was So Kee-hung (1826-1861), a prominent Hong Kong merchant and philanthropist. He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions in the region.

Another notable figure was So Ging-faat (1908-1994), a prominent Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the So Ging-faat Memorial Fund, which supports various educational and charitable initiatives.

In the 20th century, the surname "So" gained international recognition through individuals like So Sau-chung (1932-2022), a renowned Hong Kong actor and filmmaker. He starred in numerous Cantonese films and television series throughout his career.

It's worth noting that the surname "So" is not exclusively Chinese. There are also instances of the name in other parts of the world, such as Korea and Japan, where it may have different origins and meanings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name So

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

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

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

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