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

Sacks, 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 Sacks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sacks in America

Sacks is the 7281st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sacks surname appeared 4,577 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Sacks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sacks 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.

The history of the last name Sacks

The surname Sacks has its origins in the medieval German language. It is derived from the Middle High German word "sac," which means a sack or bag. This suggests that the name may have been initially an occupational surname for someone who made or sold sacks.

The name Sacks is believed to have first appeared in records in the late 13th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It was likely used to identify individuals by their trade or occupation, which was a common practice during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sacks surname can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a 16th-century world history book published in 1493. The book mentions a merchant named Hans Sacks, who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century.

Another notable individual with the Sacks surname was Johann Baptist Sacks, a German composer and organist who lived from 1748 to 1794. He was known for his works for the organ and was highly regarded in his time.

In the 19th century, the surname Sacks was associated with several notable figures. One of them was Moses Sacks, a German-born merchant and philanthropist who lived from 1828 to 1909. He made significant contributions to various charitable causes in London, where he lived and worked.

The Sacks surname has also been linked to several place names in Germany, such as Sackingen and Sackrau. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

Throughout history, the Sacks surname has been recorded with various spellings, including Sachs, Sax, and Sax. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and preferences in spelling and pronunciation.

Other individuals with the Sacks surname who have made notable contributions include Sir Jonathan Sacks, a British philosopher and rabbi who served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013, and Oliver Sacks, a British neurologist and author who wrote several acclaimed books about his experiences with patients, including "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sacks

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

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 Sacks was:

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

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 Sacks was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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