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

Tso, 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 Tso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tso in America

Tso is the 9931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tso surname appeared 3,249 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 Tso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tso 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 Tso

The surname TSO has its origins in China, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Mandarin word "曹" (Cáo), which was a prominent Chinese family name during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). This name was often associated with scholars, officials, and members of the imperial court.

The earliest recorded instance of the TSO surname can be found in the historical records of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During this period, several individuals with the surname TSO served as government officials and scholars. One notable example is Tso Tsung-t'ang (1812-1885), a distinguished Qing Dynasty scholar-official who played a significant role in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion.

In the 18th century, the TSO surname appeared in various regions of China, including Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces. It is believed that the name spread to these areas due to migration and the relocation of families during times of political upheaval or natural disasters.

While the TSO surname is most prevalent in China, it has also been documented in other parts of the world, likely due to Chinese immigration. For instance, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Chinese immigrants with the TSO surname settled in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, seeking better economic opportunities or fleeing political turmoil.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the TSO surname. For example, Tso Ping (1917-1999) was a Chinese playwright and screenwriter renowned for his contributions to Chinese literature and cinema. Another prominent figure was Tso Shun-Leung (1915-2007), a Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the city's shipping industry.

Additionally, the TSO surname has been associated with several accomplished academics and scientists, such as Tso Tsung-t'ang (1812-1885), the aforementioned Qing Dynasty scholar-official, and Tso Pang Hsu (1909-1992), a renowned Chinese physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tso

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

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

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

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