2000
#9,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,001
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Tso
A Chinese surname derived from the Wade-Giles romanization of the Chinese surname Cao, meaning "grass" or "straw."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,605 Americans carry the last name Tso. That puts it at #9,823 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,077 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tso 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
3.6K
1 in 95,077
Census rank
#9,823
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,144 bearers of the surname Tso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9823rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tso, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (40.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tso
Among Census respondents with the surname Tso, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (40.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tso 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 Tso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native51.3% · 1,614
- Asian and Pacific Islander40.5% · 1,273
- Two or more races3.4% · 106
- White2.5% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 69
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tso
Tso 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
#9,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,249
+248 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 9 places
2020
#9,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,144
-105 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,922 | 3,001 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,931 | 3,249 | 1.10 | +248 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 9 places |
| 2020 | #9,823 | 3,144 | 1.05 | -105 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 108 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 Tso 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 | #9,931 | #9,823 | 1.1% |
| Count | 3,249 | 3,144 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.05 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tso bearers went from 3,249 to 3,144 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,931 to #9,823.
FAQ
Tso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tso?
Name Census estimates that about 3,605 living Americans carry the surname Tso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,077 residents.
How common is Tso?
Tso ranks #9,823 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,144 people with the surname Tso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,605), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Tso.
Has Tso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tso went from 3,249 recorded bearers to 3,144. That is a decrease of 105 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,931 to #9,823.
What does the Census say about the background of Tso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tso, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (40.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (1,614 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (51.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (40.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Tso (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 Tso mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the Wade-Giles romanization of the Chinese surname Cao, meaning "grass" or "straw." 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 Tso (1.05 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 Americans have the surname Tso?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.