2000
#3,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,600
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.56
Uncommon Last name
Sam
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "his name is God" or "told by God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,876 Americans carry the last name Sam. That puts it at #2,711 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sam 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 Sam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,041
Census rank
#2,711
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,973 bearers of the surname Sam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2711th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 35.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sam
The surname "Sam" has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region known as the Levant, which includes modern-day countries such as Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Turkey. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "sam," which means "dark" or "brown."
The earliest recorded instances of the name "Sam" can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the "Kitab al-Ansab" (Book of Genealogies), written by the renowned Muslim scholar and historian, al-Sam'ani, in the late 11th century.
During the medieval era, the name "Sam" was particularly prevalent among the Druze community, an ethnoreligious group that originated in the mountainous regions of Syria and Lebanon. It was also found in various place names, such as the town of Samarra in modern-day Iraq, which was founded in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate.
As trade and migration patterns evolved, the name "Sam" spread to other parts of the world, including Europe and the Americas. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Europe can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named "Samson" in the county of Gloucestershire, England, which may have been an anglicized form of the name "Sam."
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname "Sam," including:
1. Sam Ervin (1896-1985), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina and gained national prominence during the Watergate scandal.
2. Sam Cooke (1931-1964), an influential American singer and songwriter widely regarded as one of the pioneers of soul music.
3. Sam Gilliam (born 1933), an American artist known for his innovative approach to abstract expressionism and his use of draped and stained canvases.
4. Sam Maloof (1916-2009), an American woodworker and furniture designer renowned for his exceptional craftsmanship and contributions to the American Studio Furniture Movement.
5. Sam Esmail (born 1977), an American writer, producer, and director best known for creating the critically acclaimed television series "Mr. Robot."
While the surname "Sam" has its roots in the Middle East, it has since become a part of various cultures and communities around the world, with each region potentially adding its unique historical and cultural significance to the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sam
Among Census respondents with the surname Sam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 35.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sam 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 Sam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander35.8% · 4,642
- Black or African American28.6% · 3,714
- American Indian and Alaska Native15.0% · 1,940
- White10.7% · 1,383
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 802
- Two or more races3.8% · 492
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sam
Sam 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
#2,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,053
+2,453 bearers (+25.6%)
Per 100,000 4.09
Rank movement Up 439 places
2020
#2,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,973
+920 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 4.34
Rank movement Up 263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,413 | 9,600 | 3.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,974 | 12,053 | 4.09 | +2,453 bearers (+25.6%) | Up 439 places |
| 2020 | #2,711 | 12,973 | 4.34 | +920 bearers (+7.6%) | Up 263 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 Sam 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 | #2,974 | #2,711 | 8.8% |
| Count | 12,053 | 12,973 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.09 | 4.34 | 6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sam bearers went from 12,053 to 12,973 (+7.6% change). The surname moved up 263 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,974 to #2,711.
FAQ
Sam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sam?
Name Census estimates that about 14,876 living Americans carry the surname Sam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,041 residents.
How common is Sam?
Sam ranks #2,711 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,973 people with the surname Sam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,876), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Sam.
Has Sam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sam went from 12,053 recorded bearers to 12,973. That is an increase of 920 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,974 to #2,711.
What does the Census say about the background of Sam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 35.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 35.8% (4,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.8%), Black (28.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (15.0%). 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 Sam (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 Sam mean?
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "his name is God" or "told by God." 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 Sam (4.34 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 Sam?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Sam is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.