Suen last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Suen

A Chinese surname, potentially referring to people from the Sui River region or descendants of nobility.

Suen, 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 Suen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Suen in America

Suen is the 22646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Suen surname appeared 1,133 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Suen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Suen 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 22646 22174 2.11%
Count 1,133 1,087 4.14%
Proportion per 100k 0.38 0.40 -5.13%

The history of the last name Suen

The surname Suen finds its origins in China, specifically in the Fujian province, where it has been documented since the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese word "xuan," which means "profound" or "deep." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who possessed a deep understanding or knowledge.

One of the earliest recorded appearances of the Suen surname can be found in the "Pu Tuan Lu," a Chinese genealogical record from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This document mentions a family with the surname Suen residing in the Xiamen region of Fujian province.

In the 17th century, the Suen surname was also documented in the "Qing Bai Lei Chao," a compilation of historical documents from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). This text references a scholar named Suen Zhongxian, who lived during the Ming Dynasty and was known for his expertise in Confucian philosophy.

During the 18th century, the Suen surname gained prominence with the birth of Suen Xing (1718-1776), a celebrated poet and calligrapher from Fujian. His works were widely admired and have been preserved in various literary anthologies.

Another notable figure with the Suen surname was Suen Qingfeng (1844-1921), a reformist scholar and educator from Guangdong province. He played a significant role in advocating for modern educational reforms in China during the late Qing Dynasty.

In the 20th century, Suen Wai-hoi (1906-1986), a renowned Chinese architect, made significant contributions to the design and construction of iconic buildings in Hong Kong, including the former Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Headquarters and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Over time, the Suen surname has spread beyond its origins in Fujian province, with individuals bearing this name found in various regions of China, as well as in Chinese diaspora communities around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Suen

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

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 Suen was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.62% 41
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 91.44% 1,036
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.38% 27
Hispanic Origin 1.68% 19

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 Suen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.62% 4.42% -19.90%
Black (S)% 0.55% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 91.44% 90.25% 1.31%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.55% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.38% 3.04% -24.35%
Hispanic 1.68% 1.20% 33.33%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Suen last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/suen-surname-popularity/.

"Suen last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/suen-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 October, 2024

Suen last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/suen-surname-popularity/.

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