2000
#12,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Sailor
An occupational surname referring to a mariner or one who works aboard a ship.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,473 Americans carry the last name Sailor. That puts it at #13,486 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,599 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sailor 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
2.5K
1 in 138,599
Census rank
#13,486
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,157 bearers of the surname Sailor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13486th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sailor, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sailor
The surname Sailor has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "salor," which referred to a sailor or seaman. The name was likely given to individuals who worked as sailors or were associated with maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sailor can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where a person named William le Salor is mentioned. The "le" prefix was commonly used in medieval times to denote a person's occupation or place of origin.
In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, there is a reference to a person named Richard le Saylour, which is an alternative spelling of the name. These early records indicate that the name was in use across various regions of England during the medieval period.
The surname Sailor also appears in various historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a person named John le Salyer is listed. This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
One notable historical figure with the surname Sailor was Sir Benjamin Sailor (1671-1742), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was known for his service in the War of the Spanish Succession and was knighted for his contributions.
Another individual of note was Captain John Sailor (1732-1806), a British naval captain who served during the American Revolutionary War. He gained fame for his role in the Battle of Yorktown, which played a significant part in the British surrender and the eventual American victory.
In the 19th century, there was a prominent English author and poet named Emily Sailor (1823-1890), who wrote under the pen name "Ellis Bell." Her works, including the novel "Wuthering Heights," were published alongside those of her sisters, Charlotte and Anne Brontë.
Another figure with the surname Sailor was Sir Edward Sailor (1856-1933), a British politician and member of the Conservative Party. He served as a Member of Parliament and held various government positions, including Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Thomas Sailor (1889-1962) was a British archaeologist who conducted extensive excavations in Egypt and made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization. His work shed light on the burial practices and artifacts of the pharaohs.
These examples illustrate the long history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have carried the surname Sailor over the centuries, reflecting its roots as an occupational name in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sailor
Among Census respondents with the surname Sailor, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sailor 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 Sailor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.9% · 1,442
- Black or African American23.2% · 500
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 74
- Two or more races3.4% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sailor
Sailor 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
#12,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,412
+144 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 256 places
2020
#13,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,157
-255 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 697 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,533 | 2,268 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,789 | 2,412 | 0.82 | +144 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 256 places |
| 2020 | #13,486 | 2,157 | 0.72 | -255 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 697 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 Sailor 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 | #12,789 | #13,486 | -5.4% |
| Count | 2,412 | 2,157 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.72 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sailor bearers went from 2,412 to 2,157 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 697 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,789 to #13,486.
FAQ
Sailor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sailor?
Name Census estimates that about 2,473 living Americans carry the surname Sailor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,599 residents.
How common is Sailor?
Sailor ranks #13,486 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,157 people with the surname Sailor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,473), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Sailor.
Has Sailor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sailor went from 2,412 recorded bearers to 2,157. That is a decrease of 255 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,789 to #13,486.
What does the Census say about the background of Sailor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sailor, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sailor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.9% (1,442 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sailor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.9%), Black (23.2%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Sailor (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 Sailor mean?
An occupational surname referring to a mariner or one who works aboard a ship. 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 Sailor (0.72 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 Americans have the surname Sailor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.