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

Su, 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 Su surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Su in America

Su is the 2779th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Su surname appeared 12,973 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 Su.

We can also compare 2010 data for Su 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Su

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

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

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

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