2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sackstein
A surname of German/Yiddish origin likely derived from the word "sack" and referring to an occupation or location associated with sacks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Sackstein. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sackstein 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Sackstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sackstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sackstein
The surname Sackstein is of German origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German words "sacken" and "stein," which translate to "bag" and "stone," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with bags made of stone or carried stones in bags.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Sackstein can be found in the chronicles of the city of Nuremberg, where a family with this surname was documented in the late 1300s. It is believed that this family may have been involved in the local quarrying industry, which could explain the origin of their surname.
In the 16th century, the name Sackstein appeared in various records across different regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, variations of the spelling included Sacksteyn and Zagkstein.
One notable historical figure with the surname Sackstein was Hans Sackstein, a German merchant and trader who lived in the city of Leipzig in the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in the lucrative trade of spices and textiles between Germany and the cities of the Hanseatic League.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Sackstein family settled in the town of Marburg, where they became prominent landowners and vintners. Johann Sackstein (1624-1689) was a respected member of this family and is mentioned in several local chronicles for his contributions to the town's wine industry.
Another significant figure was Friedrich Sackstein (1738-1814), a German philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Göttingen. He published several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy during the Enlightenment era.
In the 19th century, the name Sackstein spread beyond Germany as family members emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Wilhelm Sackstein (1822-1891), a German-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Old Tombs prison complex.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Hans Sackstein (1892-1964) was a German-born British economist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of international trade theory.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sackstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Sackstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sackstein 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 Sackstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 6
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sackstein
Sackstein appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-11 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,017 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 8,017 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 Sackstein 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 | #147,253 | #155,270 | -5.4% |
| Count | 112 | 101 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sackstein bearers went from 112 to 101 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 8,017 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #155,270.
FAQ
Sackstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sackstein?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Sackstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Sackstein?
Sackstein ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Sackstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sackstein.
Has Sackstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sackstein went from 112 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Sackstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sackstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Sackstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sackstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Hispanic (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Sackstein (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 Sackstein mean?
A surname of German/Yiddish origin likely derived from the word "sack" and referring to an occupation or location associated with sacks. 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 Sackstein (0.03 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 Sackstein?
Find out how many people have the last name Sackstein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.