2000
#9,546
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Sainz
A Spanish surname derived from the given name "Sainz," which is a variant of "Sancho," meaning "sanctified."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,166 Americans carry the last name Sainz. That puts it at #8,664 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,274 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sainz 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
4.2K
1 in 82,274
Census rank
#8,664
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,633 bearers of the surname Sainz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8664th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sainz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sainz
The surname Sainz originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, an area known for its unique language and culture distinct from the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Basque word "zain," meaning "to guard" or "to watch over," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been sentries or watchmen.
Sainz is believed to have emerged as a surname sometime in the 11th or 12th century, during the period of the Reconquista, when Christian kingdoms in northern Spain were gradually reclaiming territory from the Moors. As towns and villages were established or resettled, families adopted hereditary surnames to distinguish themselves from others in the community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sainz can be found in the Becerro Galicano, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which lists landowners and their properties in the Basque region. Several variations of the spelling, such as Saintz and Saynz, are also documented in historical records from this time.
The surname Sainz has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including Juan Sainz de Zenica (1542-1610), a Spanish soldier and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Philip III. Another prominent figure was Pedro Sainz Rodríguez (1897-1986), a Spanish philosopher, essayist, and literary critic who served as the Minister of Education from 1938 to 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.
In the realm of sports, the name Sainz has gained recognition through the achievements of Carlos Sainz (born 1962), a Spanish rally driver who won the World Rally Championship in 1990 and 1992, and his son Carlos Sainz Jr. (born 1994), a Formula One racing driver who currently competes for Scuderia Ferrari.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Blanca Sainz de la Maza (1889-1979), a Spanish educator and feminist activist who played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights and educational opportunities in Spain during the early 20th century.
These examples illustrate the deep roots and historical significance of the surname Sainz, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from diplomats and intellectuals to athletes and activists, all contributing to the rich tapestry of Basque and Spanish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sainz
Among Census respondents with the surname Sainz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sainz 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 Sainz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.2% · 3,168
- White10.4% · 377
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 30
- Two or more races0.8% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sainz
Sainz 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
#8,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,869
+745 bearers (+23.8%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 1,035 places
2020
#8,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,633
-236 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,546 | 3,124 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,511 | 3,869 | 1.31 | +745 bearers (+23.8%) | Up 1,035 places |
| 2020 | #8,664 | 3,633 | 1.22 | -236 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 153 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 Sainz 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 | #8,511 | #8,664 | -1.8% |
| Count | 3,869 | 3,633 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.22 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sainz bearers went from 3,869 to 3,633 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 153 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,511 to #8,664.
FAQ
Sainz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sainz?
Name Census estimates that about 4,166 living Americans carry the surname Sainz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,274 residents.
How common is Sainz?
Sainz ranks #8,664 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,633 people with the surname Sainz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,166), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Sainz.
Has Sainz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sainz went from 3,869 recorded bearers to 3,633. That is a decrease of 236 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,511 to #8,664.
What does the Census say about the background of Sainz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sainz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sainz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (3,168 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sainz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.2%), White (10.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Sainz (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 Sainz mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name "Sainz," which is a variant of "Sancho," meaning "sanctified." 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 Sainz (1.22 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 common is the surname Sainz?
Find out how many people have the surname Sainz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.