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

Sue, 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 Sue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sue in America

Sue is the 18609th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sue surname appeared 1,480 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sue.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sue 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 Sue

The surname "Sue" is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "suer" or "suer", meaning "to sweat" or "perspire". It first emerged as an occupational surname in the 12th century, referring to individuals who worked in physically demanding professions that caused them to perspire, such as blacksmiths, furnace operators, or miners.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Sue" can be found in medieval French records and documents. One notable early reference is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded a landowner named Roger le Suor in Lincolnshire, England. This Norman-French spelling of "Suor" is considered an early variant of the modern surname "Sue".

During the Middle Ages, the surname "Sue" was particularly prevalent in northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It spread to other parts of Europe through migration and trade, with recorded examples found in England, Belgium, and Germany. Variations in spelling, such as "Suer", "Sueur", and "Suor", were common during this period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "Sue" was Robert Sue, a 13th-century English cleric and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Another notable historical figure was Jean Sue, a 15th-century French explorer who accompanied the voyages of Jacques Cartier to the New World.

In the 16th century, the surname "Sue" was associated with several prominent families in France, including the Sue de Montluçon and the Sue de Longueval. Jean-Joseph Sue, a French playwright and novelist born in 1710, gained fame for his works such as "La Marquise de Gange" and "La Comtesse de Chaux".

During the 19th century, the French writer Eugène Sue (1804-1857) achieved literary acclaim with his serialized novels, including "Les Mystères de Paris" and "Le Juif Errant". His works often explored social issues and portrayed the lives of the urban poor, influencing the literary genre of the "city mysteries".

While the surname "Sue" originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Bearers of this surname can be found in various countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sue

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

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

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

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