Explore the Family Name Suh

The meaning of Suh

1. Korean: variant of Sŏ (see So 1). 2. Chinese: variant of Su. 3. In some cases possibly also North German: from Middle Low German sū ‘sow’, either a metonymic occupational name for a swineherd or an unflattering nickname. Some characteristic forenames: Korean Jung, Young, Kwang, Byung, Chung, Sang, Jae, Sung, Jin, Kyung, Myung, Chang, Chong, Hyun, In, Joon, Jung Sun, Moon, Sook, Choon, Chul, Dae, Daewon, Hee Jung.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Suh in the United States?

According to the data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Suh" has seen a significant increase between the years 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname improved from 5878 in 2000 to 4961 in 2010, marking a 15.6% change. In terms of count, there were 5391 individuals with the surname Suh in 2000, and this number grew by 31.5% to 7089 by 2010. This growth is reflected in the proportion per 100k people, which increased by 20% from 2.0 in 2000 to 2.4 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#5,878#4,96115.6%
Count5,3917,08931.5%
Proportion per 100k22.420%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Suh

The ethnicity distribution of the surname "Suh," as reported by the Decennial U.S. Census, remained largely consistent from 2000 to 2010. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, with percentages of 95.05 in 2000 and 95.15 in 2010, showing a minimal change of 0.11%. There was an almost 10% increase in those identifying with two or more races, rising from 1.95% to 2.14%. Conversely, the percentage of individuals who identified as White decreased by 11.87%, from 2.19% to 1.93%. There was a negligible rise in Hispanic representation from 0 to 0.32%, while those identifying as Black reduced slightly from 0.50% to 0.45%. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained static at 0.00%.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander95.05%95.15%0.11%
Two or More Races1.95%2.14%9.74%
White2.19%1.93%-11.87%
Black0.5%0.45%-10%
Hispanic0%0.32%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%

Suh 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 Suh is Korean, which comprises 86.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (4.7%) and French & German (3.2%). Additional ancestries include Chinese, Filipino & Austronesian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, and Japanese.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Korean86.1%
British & Irish4.7%
French & German3.2%
Other6.0%
Suh

Possible origins of the surname Suh

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 Suh have recent ancestry locations in South Korea and United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Seoul, South Korea88.00%
Busan, South Korea57.40%
Gyeongsangnam Do, South Korea48.10%
Jeollabuk Do, South Korea41.70%
Gyeongsangbuk Do, South Korea40.70%

What Suh 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 Suh is O-CTS713, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-CTS713 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F11 and C-Z1300, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Choe, Choi, Kim, Jang, Ahn, Oh, Park, Hwang, Cho, Han.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Suh surname are: R, M8, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

suhPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Yayoi

Haplogroup O1b2a, a branch of haplogroup O, is closely related to several haplogroups that are commonly found in Japan. Haplogroup O is closely associated with Kyushu, Japan's third largest island, and makes up over half of all men in Japan. Although haplogroup O is prevalent in Japan, it likely only entered Japan during the Yayoi expansion about 2,300 years ago. During the Yayoi expansion, people entering from the Korean Peninsula brought wet rice agriculture, weaving technology, and metalworking technology to Japan. The Yayoi expansion began on the island of Kyushu, where haplogroup O is very common today. It is possible that some of the early members of O1-F3356 were involved in this major shift, which quickly and dramatically altered Japanese culture.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han

Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Suh 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

Suh

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Suh" Surname 35.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Suh

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Suh" Surname 27.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Suh

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Suh" Surname 20.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Suh

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Suh" Surname 15.4%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Suh?

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 Suh are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Celiac Disease

HLA-DQ8 variant

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) can result in damage to the small intestine. Celiac disease can lead to both digestive and non-digestive problems. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes two common variants associated with an increased risk of developing this condition. Learn more about Celiac Disease

Korean 20.2%

23andMe Users 20.0%