2010
#95,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Sakyi
A surname originating from the Akan people of Ghana, meaning "hated" or "despised".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 308 Americans carry the last name Sakyi. That puts it at #76,963 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,112,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sakyi 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sakyi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
308
1 in 1,112,839
Census rank
#76,963
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
269
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 269 bearers of the surname Sakyi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76963rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sakyi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.1%) and White (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sakyi
The surname Sakyi originates from the Akan people of Ghana in West Africa. It is believed to have derived from the Akan word "saki," which means "a male born on Sunday." The name likely emerged in the 13th or 14th century when the Akan ethnic group settled in the region that is now modern-day Ghana.
One of the earliest known references to the name Sakyi can be found in the oral traditions and folktales of the Akan people. These stories often featured characters with the name Sakyi, indicating its widespread use among the Akan communities.
In the 16th century, with the arrival of European traders and explorers in West Africa, the name Sakyi began appearing in written records. Portuguese and Dutch chroniclers often documented the names of local chiefs and leaders they encountered, preserving the name's spelling in their accounts.
A notable figure with the surname Sakyi was Nana Osei Bonsu Sakyi, a powerful chief who ruled over the Asante Kingdom in the late 17th century. He played a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the Asante Empire, which became one of the most influential kingdoms in West Africa.
Another prominent individual was Kwasi Sakyi, a renowned Akan philosopher and scholar who lived in the 18th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of Akan culture, traditions, and ethics.
In the 19th century, the name Sakyi gained prominence with the rise of the Fante Confederation, a powerful alliance of Akan states along the coast of present-day Ghana. One of the leaders of the Confederation was Kweku Sakyi, who played a vital role in negotiating trade agreements with European merchants.
During the colonial era, the surname Sakyi appeared in administrative records and census documents compiled by the British authorities in the Gold Coast (now Ghana). This helped to further solidify the name's place in the historical record.
Other notable individuals with the surname Sakyi include Kwame Sakyi, a prominent 20th-century Ghanaian politician and statesman, and Akua Sakyi, a respected writer and educator who contributed significantly to the preservation of Akan literature and folklore.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sakyi
Among Census respondents with the surname Sakyi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.1%) and White (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sakyi 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 Sakyi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.4% · 262
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 3
- White0.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sakyi
Sakyi 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
#76,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 269
+79 bearers (+41.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 18,992 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #95,955 | 190 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #76,963 | 269 | 0.09 | +79 bearers (+41.6%) | Up 18,992 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 Sakyi 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 | #95,955 | #76,963 | 19.8% |
| Count | 190 | 269 | 41.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 50.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sakyi bearers went from 190 to 269 (+41.6% change). The surname moved up 18,992 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,955 to #76,963.
FAQ
Sakyi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sakyi?
Name Census estimates that about 308 living Americans carry the surname Sakyi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,112,839 residents.
How common is Sakyi?
Sakyi ranks #76,963 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 269 people with the surname Sakyi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (308), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Sakyi.
Has Sakyi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sakyi went from 190 recorded bearers to 269. That is an increase of 79 (+41.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,955 to #76,963.
What does the Census say about the background of Sakyi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sakyi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.1%) and White (0.7%). 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 Sakyi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sakyi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.4%), Hispanic (1.1%), White (0.7%). 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 Sakyi (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 Sakyi mean?
A surname originating from the Akan people of Ghana, meaning "hated" or "despised". 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 Sakyi (0.09 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 are called Sakyi?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Sakyi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.