2000
#10,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,787
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Sy
A Chinese surname derived from a word meaning "think" or "thought," or referring to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,970 Americans carry the last name Sy. That puts it at #6,290 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sy 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,413
Census rank
#6,290
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,206 bearers of the surname Sy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6290th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and White (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sy
The surname "SY" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "sae," meaning "sea" or "lake," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sae." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as "Sey," "Seye," and "Seey." These variations were likely due to the inconsistent nature of spelling and record-keeping at the time.
The surname "SY" has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was William Sy (1265-1335), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Oxford. Another was Sir John Sy (1410-1478), a prominent landowner and member of the English gentry.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the form "Sye" in the records of the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. This suggests that the name may have been present in the area during Shakespeare's time.
During the 17th century, the name "SY" was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Robert Sy (1625-1692), a successful merchant and landowner.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several individuals with the surname "SY" who made significant contributions to various fields. Among them was Samuel Sy (1730-1799), a renowned botanist and naturalist who catalogued numerous plant species.
In the 19th century, the name "SY" continued to be found in various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries such as the United States and Canada. One notable figure was Emily Sy (1845-1923), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the surname "SY" has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, landowners, merchants, scientists, and activists. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the mobility and diversity of human populations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sy
Among Census respondents with the surname Sy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and White (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sy 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 Sy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander67.6% · 3,521
- Black or African American21.2% · 1,102
- White5.3% · 278
- Two or more races3.6% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sy
Sy 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
#7,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,457
+1,670 bearers (+59.9%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 3,093 places
2020
#6,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,206
+749 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 1,183 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,566 | 2,787 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,473 | 4,457 | 1.51 | +1,670 bearers (+59.9%) | Up 3,093 places |
| 2020 | #6,290 | 5,206 | 1.74 | +749 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 1,183 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 Sy 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 | #7,473 | #6,290 | 15.8% |
| Count | 4,457 | 5,206 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.74 | 15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sy bearers went from 4,457 to 5,206 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 1,183 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,473 to #6,290.
FAQ
Sy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sy?
Name Census estimates that about 5,970 living Americans carry the surname Sy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,413 residents.
How common is Sy?
Sy ranks #6,290 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,206 people with the surname Sy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sy.
Has Sy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sy went from 4,457 recorded bearers to 5,206. That is an increase of 749 (+16.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,473 to #6,290.
What does the Census say about the background of Sy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and White (5.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.6% (3,521 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (67.6%), Black (21.2%), White (5.3%). 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 Sy (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 Sy mean?
A Chinese surname derived from a word meaning "think" or "thought," or referring to a place name. 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 Sy (1.74 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 Sy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.