2000
#31,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 697
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Tsoi
A common Russian surname derived from the Chinese ethnic minority Tsu people.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,116 Americans carry the last name Tsoi. That puts it at #26,423 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 307,128 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tsoi 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 Tsoi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 307,128
Census rank
#26,423
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
973
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 973 bearers of the surname Tsoi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26423rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsoi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and White (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsoi
The surname TSOI is of Russian origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Russian word "tsoi," which translates to "a person of rank or status." This suggests that the surname may have been initially associated with individuals of higher social standing or nobility.
In the historical records of Russia, one of the earliest known references to the surname TSOI can be found in the Velvet Book, a manuscript dating back to the late 16th century. The Velvet Book was a compilation of heraldic records and contained information about noble families and their coats of arms.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname TSOI began to appear in various regional records and documents across different parts of Russia. One notable example is Ivan Tsoi, a military officer who served in the Russian imperial army during the reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725). Another prominent figure from this period was Andrei Tsoi (1698-1771), a landowner and nobleman from the Novgorod region.
As the Russian Empire expanded its territories in the 19th century, the surname TSOI became more widespread, with bearers of the name found in various regions, including Siberia and the Caucasus. One notable individual from this time was Dmitry Tsoi (1835-1892), a respected educator and writer who founded several schools in St. Petersburg.
In the 20th century, the surname TSOI gained further recognition due to the fame of Viktor Tsoi (1962-1990), a legendary Soviet rock musician and singer-songwriter. His popularity and influence on Russian culture and music have made him one of the most well-known individuals with the surname TSOI.
Other notable individuals with the surname TSOI include:
1. Olga Tsoi (1913-1990), a Soviet film actress who appeared in several classic movies during the 1930s and 1940s.
2. Konstantin Tsoi (1897-1968), a Soviet military commander who played a significant role during World War II and was awarded the prestigious Hero of the Soviet Union honor.
3. Nadezhda Tsoi (1924-2003), a Russian painter and artist known for her vibrant and expressive works.
4. Andrei Tsoi (1888-1937), a Soviet politician and member of the Communist Party who held various leadership positions during the early years of the Soviet Union.
5. Mikhail Tsoi (1950-2005), a Russian scientist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsoi
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsoi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and White (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsoi 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 Tsoi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.9% · 826
- Two or more races4.5% · 44
- White4.3% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.9% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsoi
Tsoi 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
#27,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 857
+160 bearers (+23.0%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 3,452 places
2020
#26,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 973
+116 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 1,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,426 | 697 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,974 | 857 | 0.29 | +160 bearers (+23.0%) | Up 3,452 places |
| 2020 | #26,423 | 973 | 0.33 | +116 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 1,551 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 Tsoi 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 | #27,974 | #26,423 | 5.5% |
| Count | 857 | 973 | 13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.33 | 12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsoi bearers went from 857 to 973 (+13.5% change). The surname moved up 1,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,974 to #26,423.
FAQ
Tsoi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsoi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,116 living Americans carry the surname Tsoi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 307,128 residents.
How common is Tsoi?
Tsoi ranks #26,423 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 973 people with the surname Tsoi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Tsoi.
Has Tsoi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsoi went from 857 recorded bearers to 973. That is an increase of 116 (+13.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,974 to #26,423.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsoi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsoi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and White (4.3%). 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 Tsoi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (826 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsoi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%), White (4.3%). 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 Tsoi (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 Tsoi mean?
A common Russian surname derived from the Chinese ethnic minority Tsu people. 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 Tsoi (0.33 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 are called Tsoi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Tsoi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.