Explore the Family Name Seto
The meaning of Seto
1. Japanese: written 瀬戸 ‘strait’. The name is probably connected with the Seto Naikai, called the ‘Inland Sea’ in English. It is found mostly in the island of Kyūshū, which bounds the Inland Sea on the west. 2. Chinese: variant of Situ, based on its Cantonese pronunciation. 3. Catalan (Setó): perhaps a nickname derived from set ‘seven’. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wai, Kin, Chiu, Fung, Kam, Ming, Chun, Fong, Foon, Kuen, Kwing, Kyong. Japanese Hiroshi, Masao, Takeshi, Akira, Fujio, Haruo, Hideaki, Hidenori, Hideto, Kazunori, Kazuto, Kenichiro.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Seto in the United States?
The Seto surname saw a slight increase in popularity over the decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked 11,444th and by 2010, it had risen to 11,229th, marking a 1.88% increase. The actual count of people with this last name also grew from 2,526 individuals in 2000 to 2,814 in 2010, indicating an 11.4% rise. Per 100,000 people, the proportion of individuals with the Seto surname marginally increased from 0.94 in 2000 to 0.95 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,444 | #11,229 | 1.88% |
| Count | 2,526 | 2,814 | 11.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.94 | 0.95 | 1.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Seto
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data on ethnicity, it's evident that the majority of individuals with the Seto surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. However, this percentage dropped from 79.65% in 2000 to 75.52% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Setos identifying with two or more races significantly increased from 5.19% to 7.60%. Those identifying as White also saw a rise in their representation, from 8.95% to 10.41%, while the Hispanic representation slightly increased from 5.82% to 6.01%. There were no recorded instances of the Seto surname within the Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native communities during these census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 79.65% | 75.52% | -5.19% |
| White | 8.95% | 10.41% | 16.31% |
| Two or More Races | 5.19% | 7.6% | 46.44% |
| Hispanic | 5.82% | 6.01% | 3.26% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |