2000
#22,143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Soo
A Chinese surname meaning "bright", "brilliant", or "radiant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,311 Americans carry the last name Soo. That puts it at #23,003 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 261,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soo 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 Soo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 261,445
Census rank
#23,003
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,143 bearers of the surname Soo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23003rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and White (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soo
The surname Soo has its origins in East Asia, specifically in China and South Korea. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese surname Su or Syu, which can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). The name is thought to have originated from the ancient Chinese word "su," meaning a kind of grain or cereal, indicating that the early bearers of this name may have been farmers or traders of grains.
In ancient Chinese records, the name Su or Syu can be found in various historical manuscripts and documents, such as the Book of Han, a biographical history of the Western Han Dynasty. One notable figure was Su Wu, a Chinese diplomat and ambassador who lived during the 2nd century BC and was captured and detained in the Xiongnu Empire for 19 years.
The earliest recorded instances of the Soo surname in South Korea can be traced back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 AD). During this period, many Chinese families migrated to the Korean peninsula, bringing their surnames with them. The name was likely adapted to the Korean pronunciation, resulting in the spelling "Soo."
One of the earliest and most prominent figures with the Soo surname in Korean history was Soo Sung-gye (1335-1408), the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a renowned military general who overthrew the Goryeo Dynasty and established the Joseon Kingdom, which ruled over the Korean peninsula for over five centuries.
Another notable individual with the Soo surname was Soo Kyung-sik (1545-1611), a Korean scholar and philosopher who played a significant role in the development of Neo-Confucianism in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. His works and teachings had a profound influence on Korean intellectual and cultural life.
In China, the surname Su or Syu continued to be prevalent throughout various dynasties. One renowned figure was Su Shi (1037-1101), a renowned writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, and statesman of the Song Dynasty. He is considered one of the greatest literary figures in Chinese history and is celebrated for his contributions to poetry and calligraphy.
Another notable Chinese figure with the surname Su was Su Dongpo (1037-1101), also known as Su Shi, who was a famous poet, calligrapher, and statesman during the Song Dynasty. He was a contemporary and close friend of Su Shi, and their literary works and friendship have been celebrated throughout Chinese history.
The Soo surname has a rich historical legacy in both China and Korea, spanning several centuries and producing numerous notable individuals who have left an indelible mark on the cultural, intellectual, and political landscapes of their respective regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soo
Among Census respondents with the surname Soo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and White (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Soo 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 Soo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.5% · 886
- Two or more races9.5% · 109
- White9.4% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 22
- Black or African American1.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soo
Soo 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
#22,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,117
+28 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 763 places
2020
#23,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,143
+26 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,143 | 1,089 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,906 | 1,117 | 0.38 | +28 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 763 places |
| 2020 | #23,003 | 1,143 | 0.38 | +26 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 97 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 Soo 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 | #22,906 | #23,003 | -0.4% |
| Count | 1,117 | 1,143 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soo bearers went from 1,117 to 1,143 (+2.3% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,906 to #23,003.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Soo
FAQ
Soo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soo?
Name Census estimates that about 1,311 living Americans carry the surname Soo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 261,445 residents.
How common is Soo?
Soo ranks #23,003 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,143 people with the surname Soo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,311), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Soo.
Has Soo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soo went from 1,117 recorded bearers to 1,143. That is an increase of 26 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,906 to #23,003.
What does the Census say about the background of Soo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and White (9.4%). 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 Soo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.5%), Two or More Races (9.5%), White (9.4%). 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 Soo (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 Soo mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "bright", "brilliant", or "radiant". 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 Soo (0.38 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 Soo?
Find out how many people have the last name Soo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.