2000
#11,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Szeto
A Chinese surname meaning "smith" or "metalworker," originating from the state of Zhao during the Warring States period.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,061 Americans carry the last name Szeto. That puts it at #11,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Szeto 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Szeto with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,975
Census rank
#11,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,669 bearers of the surname Szeto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Szeto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szeto
The surname SZETO originated in China and has its roots in the Cantonese dialect of Guangdong province. The name is believed to have emerged around the 12th century during the Song Dynasty. It is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese characters 司徒, which translates to "administrative official" or "imperial attendant".
In ancient Chinese records, the SZETO surname is documented in the genealogical records of various clans in the Pearl River Delta region. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ming Dynasty archives, where a SZETO family is listed as residing in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) during the 15th century.
The earliest recorded individual with the SZETO surname is SZETO Shun-yan, a scholar and poet who lived during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He was known for his literary contributions and his work is preserved in the Qing Dynasty anthology "Collected Works of the Four Treasures".
Another notable figure bearing the SZETO name was SZETO Lap-hing, a military general who served in the Qing Dynasty during the 18th century. He was instrumental in suppressing several uprisings in southern China and his military exploits are documented in the Qing imperial records.
In the 19th century, SZETO Nam-fung was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Guangzhou. He established several charitable organizations and funded the construction of schools and hospitals in the region. His legacy is honored in the naming of the SZETO Nam-fung Memorial Hall in Guangzhou.
During the early 20th century, SZETO Wai-suen was a respected educator and reformist who advocated for modernizing the Chinese education system. He founded several progressive schools in Guangzhou and his teachings influenced generations of students.
SZETO Lam-kwong was a renowned artist and calligrapher who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works are highly regarded and can be found in numerous art collections around the world, including the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
While the SZETO surname originated in Guangdong province, it has since spread to other parts of China and to Chinese communities around the globe due to migration and diaspora over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szeto
Among Census respondents with the surname Szeto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Szeto 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 Szeto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.3% · 2,463
- Two or more races3.3% · 89
- White2.9% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szeto
Szeto 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
#12,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,599
+173 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 185 places
2020
#11,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,669
+70 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 703 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,827 | 2,426 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,012 | 2,599 | 0.88 | +173 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 185 places |
| 2020 | #11,309 | 2,669 | 0.89 | +70 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 703 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 Szeto 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 | #12,012 | #11,309 | 5.9% |
| Count | 2,599 | 2,669 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.89 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szeto bearers went from 2,599 to 2,669 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 703 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,012 to #11,309.
FAQ
Szeto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szeto?
Name Census estimates that about 3,061 living Americans carry the surname Szeto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,975 residents.
How common is Szeto?
Szeto ranks #11,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,669 people with the surname Szeto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Szeto.
Has Szeto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szeto went from 2,599 recorded bearers to 2,669. That is an increase of 70 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,012 to #11,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Szeto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szeto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and White (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 Szeto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,463 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szeto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%), White (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 Szeto (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 Szeto mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "smith" or "metalworker," originating from the state of Zhao during the Warring States period. 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 Szeto (0.89 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 are called Szeto?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Szeto, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.