2000
#3,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,969
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.32
Rare Last name
Sabo
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a tailor or one who makes coats and cloaks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,553 Americans carry the last name Sabo. That puts it at #4,133 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sabo 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 Sabo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.6K
1 in 35,879
Census rank
#4,133
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,331 bearers of the surname Sabo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4133rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sabo
The surname SABO is believed to have originated in Hungary, derived from the Hungarian word "sabó," which means "tailor" or "weaver." This occupational surname likely dates back to the Middle Ages when it was common for people to be identified by their trade or profession.
SABO is thought to have first appeared in written records in the 14th or 15th century, though specific documentation from that time is scarce. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a Hungarian census record from the late 16th century, where a family with the surname SABO was listed as residing in the village of Törökbálint, near Budapest.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname SABO was Ádám Sabo (1604-1666), a Hungarian Protestant minister and writer who published several religious works. Another influential individual was József Sabo (1739-1804), a Hungarian architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Eger, including the main cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace.
As the SABO name spread throughout Hungary and neighboring regions, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Szabó, Szabo, and Sabov. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and language differences across Central and Eastern Europe.
In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the SABO surname was Imre Sabo (1828-1891), a Hungarian politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and Education during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Another notable figure was Károly Sabo (1876-1938), a Hungarian painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes.
As the 20th century dawned, the SABO name continued to appear in various fields, such as literature and sports. For example, Béla Sabo (1909-1985) was a Hungarian writer and poet who wrote several works exploring themes of love, nature, and national identity. Additionally, István Sabo (1934-2022) was a successful Hungarian boxer who won a gold medal in the lightweight division at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
While the surname SABO originated in Hungary, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the Hungarian word "sabó" and its historical association with the tailoring and weaving trades in the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sabo
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sabo 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 Sabo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 7,686
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 314
- Two or more races2.3% · 189
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 64
- Black or African American0.7% · 57
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sabo
Sabo 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
#3,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,899
-70 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 3.02
Rank movement Down 352 places
2020
#4,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,331
-568 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.79
Rank movement Down 141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,640 | 8,969 | 3.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,992 | 8,899 | 3.02 | -70 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 352 places |
| 2020 | #4,133 | 8,331 | 2.79 | -568 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 141 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 Sabo 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 | #3,992 | #4,133 | -3.5% |
| Count | 8,899 | 8,331 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.02 | 2.79 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sabo bearers went from 8,899 to 8,331 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 141 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,992 to #4,133.
FAQ
Sabo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sabo?
Name Census estimates that about 9,553 living Americans carry the surname Sabo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,879 residents.
How common is Sabo?
Sabo ranks #4,133 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,331 people with the surname Sabo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,553), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sabo.
Has Sabo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sabo went from 8,899 recorded bearers to 8,331. That is a decrease of 568 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,992 to #4,133.
What does the Census say about the background of Sabo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Sabo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (7,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sabo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Sabo (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 Sabo mean?
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a tailor or one who makes coats and cloaks. 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 Sabo (2.79 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 Sabo?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Sabo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.