Sackey last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Sackey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sackey.

Meaning of Sackey

Of West African origin, likely derived from the Akan language meaning "male born on Tuesday."

Sackey, like all of the last 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 Sackey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sackey in America

Sackey is the 36379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sackey surname appeared 615 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sackey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sackey 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 36379 50055 -31.64%
Count 615 393 44.05%
Proportion per 100k 0.21 0.15 33.33%

The history of the last name Sackey

The surname Sackey is of Ghanaian origin, tracing its roots back to the Akan people of West Africa. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century, during the height of the Ashanti Empire.

The name Sackey is derived from the Akan word "saka," which means "a wanderer" or "a traveler." It was likely given to individuals who had a nomadic lifestyle or traveled frequently for trade or other purposes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sackey can be found in the chronicles of the Ashanti Kingdom, where it is mentioned as a surname belonging to a prominent family of merchants and traders.

In the 17th century, the name Sackey appeared in Dutch trading records, as Dutch merchants and explorers interacted with the Akan people along the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana). This suggests that the name was well-established and widely recognized at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Sackey throughout history include:

  1. Nana Sackey I (c. 1650 - 1717), a powerful chief and military leader of the Ashanti Empire, known for his strategic prowess and diplomacy.
  2. Kwame Sackey (1892 - 1964), a Ghanaian educator and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement.
  3. Efua Sackey (1914 - 1996), a renowned Ghanaian writer, playwright, and cultural activist, known for her contributions to the preservation of Ghanaian folklore and traditions.
  4. Ama Sackey (1926 - 2008), a pioneering Ghanaian politician and the first woman to be appointed as a Cabinet Minister in Ghana.
  5. Kwasi Sackey (1950 - present), a Ghanaian-British businessman and philanthropist, known for his contributions to various charitable organizations and initiatives.

The surname Sackey has also been associated with several place names in Ghana, such as Sakeyekrom and Sakeyetorkor, which may have been named after individuals or families bearing the name.

Over time, the name Sackey has spread beyond Ghana, with individuals of Ghanaian descent carrying the surname in various parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Ghanaian diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sackey

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

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:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

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

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 9.76% 60
Non-Hispanic Black Only 84.55% 520
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.25% 20
Hispanic Origin 2.28% 14

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 Sackey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 9.76% 13.74% -33.87%
Black 84.55% 79.13% 6.62%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 3.25% 4.07% -22.40%
Hispanic 2.28% 2.80% -20.47%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sackey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sackey, please contact us.

Reference this page

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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!

"Sackey last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/sackey-surname-popularity/.

"Sackey last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/sackey-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Sackey last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/sackey-surname-popularity/.

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