2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sabell
A topographical name for someone who lived by a willow tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Sabell. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sabell 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Sabell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sabell
The surname Sabell originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sæbill," which referred to a type of sword or dagger. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a swordsmith or a person skilled in wielding such weapons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines records for Essex in 1285, where a certain Robert Sabel is mentioned. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301 as Sabill, indicating the potential for variations in spelling during that era.
In the 14th century, the surname Sabell was found in various parts of England, including Essex, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions, likely due to migration or the adoption of the surname by families from diverse backgrounds.
One notable individual bearing the surname Sabell was John Sabell, a yeoman from Redborne, Hertfordshire, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for 1524. Another early record comes from the Lancashire Wills and Inventories of 1548, which mentions a Thomas Sabell from the parish of Eccleston.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Sabell was also present in various parish records and court rolls across England. For instance, the Cambridgeshire Parish Registers from 1558 to 1700 include entries for marriages, baptisms, and burials involving individuals with the Sabell surname.
One prominent figure with the surname Sabell was Robert Sabell, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Coventry and served as the Mayor of Coventry in 1614.
Another notable individual was James Sabell, a renowned clockmaker from Warwickshire who lived from 1632 to 1698. He was known for his intricate and highly accurate timepieces, which were sought after by wealthy patrons and aristocrats of the time.
In the 18th century, the surname Sabell continued to appear in various records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1767, which list several individuals bearing this name residing in different parishes.
While the surname Sabell is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, carrying with it a fascinating history and connections to various regions, occupations, and notable individuals from centuries past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sabell
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sabell 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 Sabell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 11
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sabell
Sabell 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+10 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 365 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-15 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 365 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 15,284 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 Sabell 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 | #126,765 | #142,049 | -12.1% |
| Count | 135 | 120 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sabell bearers went from 135 to 120 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 15,284 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #142,049.
FAQ
Sabell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sabell?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Sabell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Sabell?
Sabell ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Sabell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sabell.
Has Sabell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sabell went from 135 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sabell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sabell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sabell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (9.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Sabell (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 Sabell mean?
A topographical name for someone who lived by a willow tree. 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 Sabell (0.04 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 Sabell?
You can see how common the surname Sabell is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.