Explore the Family Name Su
The meaning of Su
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蘇, the Chinese name for perilla (a herb of the mint family); also meaning ‘revive’ in Chinese: (i) from Su (蘇), the name of an ancient state (originally located in Henan province, then moved to Hebei province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC) and the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). During the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC), the state of Su (蘇) was granted to Su Fen Sheng (蘇忿生), a revered official who made great contributions to the establishment of the Western Zhou dynasty. After the state was annexed by minority ethnic groups in northern China during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) adopted as a surname by the Ba Lue (拔略) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) traced back to the Wu Huan ethnic group and the Di ethnic group in northern China. 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 㝛, meaning ‘lodge for the night’ in Chinese: (i) from Su (㝛), the name of an ancient state (located in Dongping in Shandong province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Su Liu Jin (㝛六斤) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 粟, meaning ‘unhusked millet’ or ‘grain’ in Chinese: (i) from Su (粟), post name during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) in charge of grains, or post name during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–25 AD) in charge of army provisions (mainly consisting of grains). (ii) possibly misused form of another Chinese surname 宿, because of their similar pronunciations. 4. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 舒. Also variant Romanization of the surname 束. See Shu 1 and 2. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 徐, 胥 and 須, possibly based on their Hokkien pronunciation, see Xu 1, 3, and 5. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 史 and 師, probably based on their Teochew, Hokkien or Taiwanese pronunciations, found in Fujian and Taiwan, from where some people migrated to Malaysia, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia. See Shi 2 and 4. 7. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 司, see Si 1. 8. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 蕭 (or 肖), see Xiao. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 褚, see Chu 2. 10. Vietnamese (Sử): from the Chinese surname 史, see Shi 1. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Ming, Hong, Jing, Bin, Yi, Yuan, Chan, Chao, Chen, Hua, Hui, Qi, Min, Tam, Ti, Chang, Hyun Ho, Hyun Sun, Jang, Jeong, Jung Ho, Kwang Soo. Vietnamese Thanh, Hoa, Hung, Nam, Lan, Minh, Nu, Phong, Quang, Tuan, Anh, Binh, Buu, Chau.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Su in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Su' has significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Su was ranked the 3835th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had risen to the 2779th position, reflecting a positive change of 27.54%. The number of people sharing the surname also increased during this period, as evidenced by the count rising from 8507 in 2000 to 12973 in 2010, an impressive uptick of 52.5%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Su per 100,000 people escalated by 39.68%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,835 | #2,779 | 27.54% |
| Count | 8,507 | 12,973 | 52.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.15 | 4.4 | 39.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Su
The Decennial U.S. Census data provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Su'. The majority of those with the surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, although this group experienced a negligible decrease from 94.03% in 2000 to 93.36% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races and Hispanic saw small increases in both groups, rising by 7.53% and 7.49% respectively. White individuals with the Su surname also saw a slight increase from 1.97% to 2.26%. However, there were no recorded changes for those identifying as Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 94.03% | 93.36% | -0.71% |
| White | 1.97% | 2.26% | 14.72% |
| Hispanic | 1.87% | 2.01% | 7.49% |
| Two or More Races | 1.86% | 2% | 7.53% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Su ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Su is Chinese, which comprises 83.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese Dai (3.1%) and Vietnamese (2.9%). Additional ancestries include Manchurian & Mongolian, British & Irish, Korean, French & German, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 83.3% |
| Chinese Dai | 3.1% |
| Vietnamese | 2.9% |
| Other | 10.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Su
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Su have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 54.90% |
| Fujian, China | 54.70% |
| Jiangsu, China | 54.20% |
| Shanghai, China | 54.20% |
| Shandong, China | 54.00% |
What Su haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Su is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F46 and O-M307.1, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wong, Huang, Chan, Ma, Cheung, Wu, Lim, Chen, Wang, Tang.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Su surname are: M, F2, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Su have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Su" Surname 25.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Su" Surname 26.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Su" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Su" Surname 8.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Su?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Su are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition