2000
#79,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Sunwoo
A Korean surname meaning "bright scholar" or "virtuous scholar".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 316 Americans carry the last name Sunwoo. That puts it at #75,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,084,666 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sunwoo 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
316
1 in 1,084,666
Census rank
#75,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
276
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 276 bearers of the surname Sunwoo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sunwoo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sunwoo
The surname Sunwoo has its origins in Korea, where it can be traced back to the late Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and early Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). It is derived from the Korean words "sun," meaning "good," and "woo," meaning "house" or "residence." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a respected or distinguished household.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sunwoo name appears in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, a historical record compiled during the reign of King Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450). The text mentions a court official named Sunwoo Gi-yeong (1384–1456), who served as a military strategist and diplomat.
During the Joseon period, the Sunwoo surname was particularly prevalent in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces of southern Korea. Several notable figures bore this name, including Sunwoo Han (1551–1636), a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar and writer, and Sunwoo Yeong (1617–1690), a prominent calligrapher and painter.
In the 18th century, Sunwoo Hyeon (1702–1761) gained recognition as a skilled architect and urban planner, responsible for designing numerous government buildings and city layouts. His contributions were widely celebrated during his lifetime and have left a lasting legacy in Korean architecture.
Another notable Sunwoo was Sunwoo Jeon (1824–1888), a respected military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in the defense of Korea during the French Campaign against Korea in 1866 and the Sino-French War of 1884–1885.
While the Sunwoo surname originated in Korea, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including China, Japan, and various Western countries, due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical roots and significance remain deeply rooted in Korean culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sunwoo
Among Census respondents with the surname Sunwoo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sunwoo 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 Sunwoo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.2% · 260
- White2.9% · 8
- Two or more races2.9% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sunwoo
Sunwoo 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
#74,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
+36 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 4,786 places
2020
#75,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 276
+17 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 755 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #79,394 | 223 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #74,608 | 259 | 0.09 | +36 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 4,786 places |
| 2020 | #75,363 | 276 | 0.09 | +17 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 755 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 Sunwoo 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 | #74,608 | #75,363 | -1.0% |
| Count | 259 | 276 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sunwoo bearers went from 259 to 276 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 755 positions in the national ranking, going from #74,608 to #75,363.
FAQ
Sunwoo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sunwoo?
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the surname Sunwoo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,084,666 residents.
How common is Sunwoo?
Sunwoo ranks #75,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 276 people with the surname Sunwoo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Sunwoo.
Has Sunwoo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sunwoo went from 259 recorded bearers to 276. That is an increase of 17 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #74,608 to #75,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Sunwoo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sunwoo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sunwoo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (260 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sunwoo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.2%), White (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 Sunwoo (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 Sunwoo mean?
A Korean surname meaning "bright scholar" or "virtuous scholar". 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 Sunwoo (0.09 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 last name Sunwoo?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Sunwoo, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.