2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Saiia
A surname of South Asian origin referring to a respected or noble person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Saiia. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saiia 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Saiia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saiia, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saiia
The surname SAIIA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "Saiya," which means "lion" or "brave warrior." The name was likely adopted by warriors or soldiers during the medieval period, and it gradually evolved into a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SAIIA surname can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century Persian language book written during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The book mentions a commander named Rai Saiia, who served in the Mughal army and was known for his bravery and military prowess.
In the 17th century, the SAIIA name appeared in the records of the East India Company, with several individuals bearing the surname serving as traders and administrators in British-controlled territories. One notable figure was Ratan Saiia, a merchant and trader who played a crucial role in facilitating trade between the East India Company and local rulers in the region now known as West Bengal.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the SAIIA surname spread beyond the Indian subcontinent as individuals from this lineage migrated to other parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, records show a family of SAIIA landowners who settled in the county of Yorkshire in the late 18th century. One prominent member of this family was Sir Richard Saiia (1792-1871), a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Leeds.
Another notable figure from this period was General Pratap Saiia (1815-1898), a celebrated military commander in the British Indian Army. He played a crucial role in several campaigns, including the Second Anglo-Afghan War, and was awarded several honors for his service and bravery.
In the 20th century, the SAIIA surname continued to gain prominence in various fields. One remarkable individual was Dr. Anita Saiia (1928-2012), a pioneering scientist and researcher in the field of genetics. Her groundbreaking work on genetic disorders and chromosomal abnormalities earned her numerous accolades and awards, including the prestigious Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saiia
Among Census respondents with the surname Saiia, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Saiia 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 Saiia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saiia
Saiia 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+11 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,870 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-12 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,041 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 1,870 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 10,041 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 Saiia 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 | #144,141 | #154,182 | -7.0% |
| Count | 115 | 103 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saiia bearers went from 115 to 103 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 10,041 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,182.
FAQ
Saiia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saiia?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Saiia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Saiia?
Saiia ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Saiia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Saiia.
Has Saiia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saiia went from 115 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Saiia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saiia, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Saiia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saiia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Black (2.9%). 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 Saiia (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 Saiia mean?
A surname of South Asian origin referring to a respected or noble person. 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 Saiia (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 Saiia?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Saiia, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.