2000
#11,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,600
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Sahagun
Derived from the Spanish place name Sahagún, which comes from the Latin name Sanctus Facundus, meaning "Saint Facundus."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,887 Americans carry the last name Sahagun. That puts it at #9,230 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sahagun 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
3.9K
1 in 88,180
Census rank
#9,230
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,390 bearers of the surname Sahagun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9230th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sahagun, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%) and White (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sahagun
The surname Sahagun has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Tierra de Campos, which is located in the northern part of the province of León. The name derives from the town of Sahagún, which was an important center during the Middle Ages due to its strategic location along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
The town of Sahagún was originally known as "Salmantica" during the Roman era, but its name evolved over time. In the 7th century, it was referred to as "Domno Sancto," and by the 10th century, it was called "Sancto Facundo." The modern name "Sahagún" is derived from the Latin phrase "Sanctus Facundus," which refers to the town's patron saint, Facundo.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Sahagun can be found in the Cartulario de Sahagún, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Sahagún, which dates back to the 10th century. This cartulary contains records of individuals with the surname Sahagun, indicating their connection to the town.
One notable figure with the surname Sahagun was Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan missionary and scholar who lived in the 16th century (1499-1590). He is renowned for his ethnographic work, the Florentine Codex, which provides a detailed account of the culture and traditions of the Aztec people in central Mexico.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Juan de Sahagún, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived in the 15th century (c. 1430-1479). He was known for his work in the Late Gothic and Early Renaissance styles and contributed to the artistic heritage of Spain.
In the 17th century, Pedro de Sahagún y Ledesma (1609-1671) was a Spanish historian and lawyer who served as a judge in the Royal Chancellery of Granada. He wrote several historical works, including a chronicle of the city of Jaén.
The surname Sahagun can also be found in other parts of Spain, such as Andalusia, where Juan de Sahagún (1532-1597) was a prominent Catholic priest and theologian who played a role in the Counter-Reformation movement.
Additionally, Bernardo de Sahagún (1499-1590), a Franciscan missionary and ethnographer, made significant contributions to the study of Aztec culture and is considered one of the earliest anthropologists of the New World.
Overall, the surname Sahagun has a rich history rooted in the town of Sahagún, Spain, and has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including religion, art, literature, and scholarship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sahagun
Among Census respondents with the surname Sahagun, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%) and White (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sahagun 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 Sahagun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino79.8% · 2,704
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.6% · 426
- White6.4% · 218
- Two or more races0.9% · 31
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sahagun
Sahagun 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
#9,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,421
+821 bearers (+31.6%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 1,687 places
2020
#9,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,390
-31 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 271 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,188 | 2,600 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,501 | 3,421 | 1.16 | +821 bearers (+31.6%) | Up 1,687 places |
| 2020 | #9,230 | 3,390 | 1.13 | -31 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 271 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 Sahagun 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 | #9,501 | #9,230 | 2.9% |
| Count | 3,421 | 3,390 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.13 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sahagun bearers went from 3,421 to 3,390 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 271 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,501 to #9,230.
FAQ
Sahagun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sahagun?
Name Census estimates that about 3,887 living Americans carry the surname Sahagun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,180 residents.
How common is Sahagun?
Sahagun ranks #9,230 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,390 people with the surname Sahagun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,887), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sahagun.
Has Sahagun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sahagun went from 3,421 recorded bearers to 3,390. That is a decrease of 31 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,501 to #9,230.
What does the Census say about the background of Sahagun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sahagun, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%) and White (6.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sahagun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (2,704 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sahagun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (79.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%), White (6.4%). 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 Sahagun (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 Sahagun mean?
Derived from the Spanish place name Sahagún, which comes from the Latin name Sanctus Facundus, meaning "Saint Facundus." 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 Sahagun (1.13 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 Sahagun?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Sahagun on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.