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

South, 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 South surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of South in America

South is the 3231st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The South surname appeared 11,178 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname South.

We can also compare 2010 data for South 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 South

The surname "South" is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "suth" meaning "south". It was originally used as a geographical name to identify someone who lived in the southern part of a town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Suthc" and "Suthm". These early spellings suggest that the name may have originated in the southern counties of England, particularly in the areas around Sussex and Surrey.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as "Southe", "Suyth", and "Suthey". These variations reflect the regional dialects and local pronunciation of the name.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John de Southe (c. 1230-1295), a prominent landowner and knight from Wiltshire. His descendants continued to use the name and held estates in the southern counties of England.

Another early example is Richard South (c. 1495-1550), a clergyman and theologian from Essex. He served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex and was known for his writings on religious doctrine.

In the 17th century, Robert South (1634-1716) was a renowned English preacher and theologian. He served as the Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, and was known for his eloquent and influential sermons.

During the 18th century, James South (1785-1867) was a renowned English astronomer and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and helped establish the Royal Astronomical Society.

In the 19th century, Sir James Fitzjames South (1797-1881) was a British naval officer and explorer. He led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and made significant contributions to the field of polar exploration.

Throughout history, the surname "South" has been borne by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, clergymen, explorers, and landowners. While its origins can be traced back to the geographical regions of southern England, the name has since spread and been adopted by families across the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name South

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

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

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

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