2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Siah
A Persianized form of the Hebrew surname "Siakh" or "Siah", meaning "black" or "darkness".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157 Americans carry the last name Siah. That puts it at #129,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,183,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Siah 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
157
1 in 2,183,149
Census rank
#129,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137 bearers of the surname Siah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Siah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%) and White (12.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Siah
The surname SIAH originated in Iran during the 16th century. It is derived from the Persian word "siah," meaning "black" or "dark." This name likely referred to an individual's physical appearance, such as having dark hair or complexion.
The earliest known record of the surname SIAH can be traced back to a Persian manuscript dated around 1550. This document mentions a man named Siah Ali, who was a merchant from the city of Isfahan.
In the 17th century, the name SIAH appeared in several Persian court records and legal documents. One notable example is Siah Mohammad, a highly respected scholar and poet who lived in the city of Shiraz from 1620 to 1695.
During the 18th century, the SIAH surname became more widespread across Iran and the surrounding regions. One prominent figure was Siah Khan, a military commander who served under the Afsharid dynasty from 1736 to 1748.
In the 19th century, the SIAH surname gained recognition in the field of literature. Siah Mirza (1815-1875) was a renowned Persian poet and philosopher who wrote extensively on Sufism and mysticism.
Another notable individual with the SIAH surname was Siah Banu (1858-1914), a prominent Iranian feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and education during the late Qajar era.
The SIAH surname has also been associated with various place names in Iran. For instance, the village of Siah Dasht, located in the province of Fars, is believed to have derived its name from the SIAH family who once resided there.
Throughout its history, the SIAH surname has been spelled in various ways, such as Siahpush, Siahkalan, and Siahchi, reflecting regional variations and different linguistic influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Siah
Among Census respondents with the surname Siah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%) and White (12.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Siah 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 Siah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander31.4% · 43
- White12.4% · 17
- Two or more races6.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Siah
Siah appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#129,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+17 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #129,703 | 137 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 9,525 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 Siah 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 | #139,228 | #129,703 | 6.8% |
| Count | 120 | 137 | 14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Siah bearers went from 120 to 137 (+14.2% change). The surname moved up 9,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #129,703.
FAQ
Siah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Siah?
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the surname Siah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,183,149 residents.
How common is Siah?
Siah ranks #129,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 137 people with the surname Siah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Siah.
Has Siah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Siah went from 120 recorded bearers to 137. That is an increase of 17 (+14.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #129,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Siah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Siah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%) and White (12.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Siah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.9% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Siah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%), White (12.4%). 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 Siah (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 Siah mean?
A Persianized form of the Hebrew surname "Siakh" or "Siah", meaning "black" or "darkness". 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 Siah (0.05 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 people have the last name Siah?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Siah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.