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

Sagan, 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 Sagan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sagan in America

Sagan is the 21790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sagan surname appeared 1,193 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 Sagan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sagan 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 Sagan

The surname SAGAN is believed to have originated in Poland, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Polish word "sagan," which means "soot-covered" or "blackened by smoke." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who worked in a profession that involved exposure to soot or smoke, such as a blacksmith or chimney sweep.

The earliest recorded instance of the SAGAN surname can be found in the Teki Dworzaczka, a collection of Polish court records from the 14th century. One entry mentions a man named "Stanislaw Sagan" who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

In the 15th century, the surname SAGAN appears in the records of the town of Krakow, which was a major center of trade and commerce in medieval Poland. One notable bearer of the name was Jan Sagan, a merchant who lived in Krakow in the late 1400s and was known for his successful business dealings.

The SAGAN surname also has connections to several place names in Poland, such as the village of Sagany in the Silesian region. It is possible that the name originated as a designation for someone who lived near or came from this area.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname SAGAN. One of the most famous was Carl Sagan (1934-1996), an American astronomer, cosmologist, and science communicator who popularized the study of the cosmos through his writings and television appearances. His book "Cosmos" and the accompanying TV series of the same name were hugely influential in sparking public interest in space exploration and scientific inquiry.

Another significant figure was Françoise Sagan (1935-2004), a French novelist and playwright who achieved literary stardom at a young age with her debut novel "Bonjour Tristesse" in 1954. Her works often explored themes of disillusionment and moral ambiguity in modern society.

In the field of mathematics, Mark Sagan (1945-1995) was an American mathematician and computer scientist best known for his contributions to the study of combinatorics and graph theory. His research helped establish connections between these areas and other branches of mathematics.

Historically, the SAGAN surname has also been associated with notable individuals in the military and political spheres. For example, Stanislaw Sagan (1711-1781) was a Polish general and statesman who served as a member of the Permanent Council, a governing body in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Overall, the surname SAGAN has a rich and diverse history, with roots stretching back to medieval Poland and connections to various professions, locations, and notable figures across different fields and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sagan

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

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

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

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