2000
#3,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.15
Uncommon Last name
Su
A Chinese surname meaning "to revive" or "to resurrect," or referring to the ancient state of Su.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,927 Americans carry the last name Su. That puts it at #2,034 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,200 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Su 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 Su with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,200
Census rank
#2,034
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,377 bearers of the surname Su in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2034th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Su, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Su
The surname SU originates from China, and its roots can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The name is derived from the Chinese character "苏," which means "revive" or "flourish." This character was often used as a surname during the Han Dynasty.
SU is a widespread surname in China, particularly in the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. It is also found in regions with significant Chinese populations, such as Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. The earliest recorded instances of the surname SU can be found in historical records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a prominent figure named Su Shi (1037-1101) emerged as a renowned poet, calligrapher, and statesman. He is considered one of the greatest literary figures in Chinese history and has left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.
Another notable individual with the surname SU was Su Dongpo (1037-1101), a contemporary of Su Shi and also a celebrated poet and calligrapher. His literary works and artistic achievements have been widely celebrated and studied throughout Chinese history.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Su Zhe (1509-1566) was a prominent military strategist and general who played a crucial role in suppressing the Ningxia rebellion against the Ming Empire.
The surname SU has also been associated with various place names throughout Chinese history. For example, Suzhou, a city in Jiangsu Province, was historically known as Su or Sucheng, derived from the surname SU.
It is worth mentioning that the pronunciation and spelling of the surname SU may vary slightly in different regions and dialects of China, but its essential meaning and origin remain consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Su
Among Census respondents with the surname Su, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Su 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 Su surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 16,355
- White2.4% · 416
- Two or more races1.6% · 279
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 263
- Black or African American0.4% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Su
Su 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
#2,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,973
+4,466 bearers (+52.5%)
Per 100,000 4.40
Rank movement Up 1,056 places
2020
#2,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,377
+4,404 bearers (+33.9%)
Per 100,000 5.81
Rank movement Up 745 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,835 | 8,507 | 3.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,779 | 12,973 | 4.40 | +4,466 bearers (+52.5%) | Up 1,056 places |
| 2020 | #2,034 | 17,377 | 5.81 | +4,404 bearers (+33.9%) | Up 745 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 Su 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 | #2,779 | #2,034 | 26.8% |
| Count | 12,973 | 17,377 | 33.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.40 | 5.81 | 32.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Su bearers went from 12,973 to 17,377 (+33.9% change). The surname moved up 745 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,779 to #2,034.
FAQ
Su surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Su?
Name Census estimates that about 19,927 living Americans carry the surname Su. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,200 residents.
How common is Su?
Su ranks #2,034 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,377 people with the surname Su. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,927), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Su.
Has Su become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Su went from 12,973 recorded bearers to 17,377. That is an increase of 4,404 (+33.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,779 to #2,034.
What does the Census say about the background of Su?
Among Census respondents with the surname Su, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Su in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (16,355 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Su appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (2.4%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Su (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 Su mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "to revive" or "to resurrect," or referring to the ancient state of Su. 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 Su (5.81 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 share the surname Su?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.