2000
#3,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,839
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.02
Uncommon Last name
South
Referring to someone who lived south of a town or village, or in the south of a country.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,132 Americans carry the last name South. That puts it at #3,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the South 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 South with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,252
Census rank
#3,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,580 bearers of the surname South in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname South, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for South
Among Census respondents with the surname South, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how South 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 South surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 8,922
- Black or African American7.4% · 782
- Two or more races4.1% · 429
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 329
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 46
Timeline
Historical Census data for South
South 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
#3,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,178
+339 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 3.79
Rank movement Down 165 places
2020
#3,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,580
-598 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 3.54
Rank movement Down 103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,066 | 10,839 | 4.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,231 | 11,178 | 3.79 | +339 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 165 places |
| 2020 | #3,334 | 10,580 | 3.54 | -598 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 103 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 South 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 | #3,231 | #3,334 | -3.2% |
| Count | 11,178 | 10,580 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.79 | 3.54 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of South bearers went from 11,178 to 10,580 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 103 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,231 to #3,334.
FAQ
South surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname South?
Name Census estimates that about 12,132 living Americans carry the surname South. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,252 residents.
How common is South?
South ranks #3,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,580 people with the surname South. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname South.
Has South become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname South went from 11,178 recorded bearers to 10,580. That is a decrease of 598 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,231 to #3,334.
What does the Census say about the background of South?
Among Census respondents with the surname South, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname South in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (8,922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
South appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (7.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 South (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 South mean?
Referring to someone who lived south of a town or village, or in the south of a country. 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 South (3.54 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 common is the surname South?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name South on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.