2000
#7,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,402
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Sain
A French occupational surname derived from Old French "sain," meaning "healthy," likely referring to a physician or healer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,000 Americans carry the last name Sain. That puts it at #7,371 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,551 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sain 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
5.0K
1 in 68,551
Census rank
#7,371
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,360 bearers of the surname Sain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7371st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sain, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sain
The surname Sain has its origins in the Old French language, derived from the word "sain," meaning "healthy" or "sound." It is thought to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy, during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sain can be found in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property conducted in England in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already been introduced to England by Norman settlers during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Guillelmus Sain was recorded as holding lands in the county of Somerset, England. This indicates that the name had become established in various parts of the country by that time.
The surname Sain has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the village of Saintes in western France was once known as "Sain" in its earlier forms. Similarly, the town of Saint-Sain in the Burgundy region of France may have contributed to the development of the surname.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Sain surname was Jean Sain, a French nobleman born in the late 14th century, who served as a knight and advisor to King Charles VI of France.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Robert Sain (1504-1559) was a prominent English clergyman and author, who served as the Bishop of Norwich and authored several theological works.
Another significant historical figure with the Sain surname was Sir John Sain (1638-1718), an English politician and Member of Parliament who played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
During the 18th century, a French philosopher and mathematician named Pierre Sain (1720-1795) made significant contributions to the field of calculus and was elected to the French Academy of Sciences.
In the 19th century, a Scottish artist named William Sain (1813-1890) gained recognition for his landscape paintings, depicting scenes from the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
Over the centuries, the surname Sain has undergone various spellings and variations, such as Sayne, Sayn, and Saigne, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained relatively consistent, rooted in the Old French word for "healthy" or "sound."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sain
Among Census respondents with the surname Sain, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sain 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 Sain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.4% · 2,893
- Black or African American20.8% · 905
- Two or more races4.4% · 192
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 179
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sain
Sain 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
#7,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,675
+273 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Down 136 places
2020
#7,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,360
-315 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,019 | 4,402 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,155 | 4,675 | 1.58 | +273 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 136 places |
| 2020 | #7,371 | 4,360 | 1.46 | -315 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 216 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 Sain 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 | #7,155 | #7,371 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,675 | 4,360 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.46 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sain bearers went from 4,675 to 4,360 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,155 to #7,371.
FAQ
Sain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sain?
Name Census estimates that about 5,000 living Americans carry the surname Sain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,551 residents.
How common is Sain?
Sain ranks #7,371 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,360 people with the surname Sain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,000), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Sain.
Has Sain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sain went from 4,675 recorded bearers to 4,360. That is a decrease of 315 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,155 to #7,371.
What does the Census say about the background of Sain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sain, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Sain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.4% (2,893 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.4%), Black (20.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Sain (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 Sain mean?
A French occupational surname derived from Old French "sain," meaning "healthy," likely referring to a physician or healer. 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 Sain (1.46 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 Sain?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Sain on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.