2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sainval
A French surname possibly derived from the words "saint" and "val" meaning "holy valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Sainval. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sainval 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Sainval in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sainval, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sainval
The surname Sainval is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from a combination of the French words "saint" and "val," which translate to "holy" and "valley," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated in a valley or region with a strong religious significance or association.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sainval can be found in the archives of the Normandy region, where a family bearing this name was documented in the 13th century. The name is also found in various municipal records and charters from the same period, indicating that it was well-established in certain parts of northern France.
During the 16th century, a notable figure named Jacques Sainval (born around 1520) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Rouen. His legacy is documented in several historical texts, which provide insights into the economic and social status of individuals with this surname during that era.
In the 17th century, the Sainval family gained prominence in the region of Burgundy, where they held significant landholdings and influential positions within the local nobility. One notable member was Jean-Baptiste Sainval (1642-1718), a military officer who served in the French army during the reign of Louis XIV.
Another prominent figure associated with the surname Sainval was Marie-Thérèse Sainval (1764-1842), a renowned French actress who achieved great success on the Parisian stage during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Her performances were widely acclaimed, and she is regarded as one of the leading theatrical figures of her time.
In the 19th century, the surname Sainval continued to be present in various regions of France, with several individuals making notable contributions in fields such as literature, politics, and academia. One example is Émile Sainval (1829-1905), a French writer and journalist who authored several works on history and cultural topics.
It is important to note that while the surname Sainval has its roots in France, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events. However, the earliest and most well-documented records of this surname can be traced back to its French origins, which span several centuries and encompass individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sainval
Among Census respondents with the surname Sainval, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sainval 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 Sainval surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.4% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sainval
Sainval appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 5,815 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 Sainval 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 | #153,769 | #147,954 | 3.8% |
| Count | 106 | 112 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sainval bearers went from 106 to 112 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 5,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,954.
FAQ
Sainval surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sainval?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Sainval. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Sainval?
Sainval ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Sainval. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sainval.
Has Sainval become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sainval went from 106 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Sainval?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sainval, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sainval in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sainval appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (96.4%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sainval (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 Sainval mean?
A French surname possibly derived from the words "saint" and "val" meaning "holy valley". 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 Sainval (0.04 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 surname Sainval?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.