Sam Last Name Popularity, Meaning and Origin

In this article we'll look at the origin and meaning of the surname Sam and how popular it is in the United States. We'll also look at the race and ethnic origin of people in the United States who are named Sam.

Sam, like all of the names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Unlocking Your Past (On Sale!)

Discover the untold stories of your family and feel the heartwarming connection to your ancestors.

My new eBook is a comprehensive guide to family history research that helps you turn the complex task of tracing your family tree into a manageable and rewarding journey.

Experience the joy of piecing together the puzzle using historical records, online tools, and DNA research and the pride of preserving these stories for future generations of your family!

Buy Now (50% Discount) →

Where Does Sam Rank in the Most Common U.S. Names?

According to the data, Sam is ranked #2,974 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

The Sam surname appeared 12,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4.09 would have the surname Sam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sam to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2974 3413 -13.75%
Count 12,053 9,600 22.66%
Proportion per 100k 4.09 3.56 13.86%

Race and Ethnic Origin of People with the Last Name Sam

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sam.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups: "White only", "Black only", "American Indian and Alaskan Native only", "Asian and Pacific Islander only", "Two or More Races", and "Hispanic".

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sam was:

  • 12.06%, or 1,454 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic White Only".
  • 27.84%, or 3,356 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic Black Only".
  • 33.73%, or 4,065 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only".
  • 17.93%, or 2,161 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native".
  • 3.07%, or 370 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races".
  • 5.37%, or 647 total occurrences, were "Hispanic Origin".

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sam has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 12.06% 12.07% -0.08%
Black 27.84% 29.68% -6.40%
Asian and Pacific Islander 33.73% 30.63% 9.63%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 17.93% 19.92% -10.52%
Two or More Races 3.07% 3.89% -23.56%
Hispanic 5.37% 3.82% 33.73%

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Decennial Census survey, from the United States Census Bureau.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Sam Last Name Popularity, Meaning and Origin". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/last-names/sam-surname-popularity/.

  • "Sam Last Name Popularity, Meaning and Origin". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/sam-surname-popularity/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Sam Last Name Popularity, Meaning and Origin. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/last-names/sam-surname-popularity/.