2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sues
A surname derived from the French "suer," meaning "to sweat" or "perspire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Sues. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sues 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Sues in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sues, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sues
The surname "SUES" is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "suze," which means "sweet" or "pleasant." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a sweet or pleasant personality or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "SUES" can be found in the Bavarian town of Augsburg in the 14th century. A merchant named Hans Sues is mentioned in local records from that time period. It is possible that the name was originally associated with the trade of confectioners or bakers, as their products were often described as "sweet" or "pleasant."
In the 16th century, the name "SUES" appeared in various German-language documents and records, including the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated world history published in 1493. This suggests that the surname had become more widespread across German-speaking regions by that time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname "SUES" emerged. Johann Georg Sues (1646-1717) was a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. Christian Friedrich Sues (1776-1858) was a German philosopher and writer who was influential in the early Romantic movement.
In the 19th century, the surname "SUES" began to spread beyond Germany as a result of emigration. One prominent figure was Eduard Sues (1831-1914), a German-born paleontologist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life forms.
Another notable individual with the surname "SUES" was Carl Eduard Sues (1837-1881), a German-born American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, including the Montauk Club and the Union League Club.
As the surname "SUES" spread to other parts of the world, it underwent various spellings and variations, such as "Suess," "Süss," and "Sueß." However, the original German spelling of "SUES" remained the most common form of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sues
Among Census respondents with the surname Sues, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sues 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 Sues surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sues
Sues 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,655 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 21,655 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 3,138 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 Sues 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 | #150,452 | #153,590 | -2.1% |
| Count | 109 | 104 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sues bearers went from 109 to 104 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 3,138 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #153,590.
FAQ
Sues surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sues?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Sues. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Sues?
Sues ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Sues. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sues.
Has Sues become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sues went from 109 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Sues?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sues, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sues in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sues appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sues (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 Sues mean?
A surname derived from the French "suer," meaning "to sweat" or "perspire." 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 Sues (0.03 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 have the surname Sues?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.