2000
#48,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Samarin
An old Russian surname derived from the word for a self-willed or headstrong person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 492 Americans carry the last name Samarin. That puts it at #52,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 696,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samarin 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
492
1 in 696,655
Census rank
#52,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
429
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 429 bearers of the surname Samarin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samarin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samarin
The surname Samarin is of Russian origin, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have originated from the Russian word "samovar," which refers to a traditional metal container used for heating and boiling water for tea. This connection suggests that the Samarin family may have been involved in the production or trade of samovars during the early years of the surname's existence.
The earliest known record of the Samarin surname can be found in the Russian census records from the late 1600s, indicating its presence in the Moscow region. Some variations in spelling, such as Samorin and Samoryov, were also documented in these early records, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
One of the notable individuals bearing this surname was Grigory Samarin (1792-1856), a Russian statesman and writer. He served as the Governor of Riga and later became a member of the State Council of the Russian Empire. Samarin was known for his conservative political views and his advocacy for the preservation of traditional Russian values.
Another prominent figure was Yuri Samarin (1819-1876), a Russian philosopher, and social critic. He was a proponent of Slavophile ideals and argued for the unique cultural and spiritual identity of the Russian people. Samarin's writings had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of his time, particularly in relation to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and the peasantry.
In the literary realm, Dmitry Samarin (1860-1944) was a notable Russian poet and writer. He was part of the Symbolist movement and was known for his lyrical works that explored themes of spirituality and the human condition. Samarin's poetry collections, such as "The Garden of the Blessed" and "The Immaculate Conception," were widely acclaimed.
The Samarin name also appears in military history. Mikhail Samarin (1869-1918) was a Russian general who served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. He played a significant role in the defense of Riga against German forces in 1917 and later joined the White Army during the Russian Civil War.
Lastly, Nikolai Samarin (1918-2004) was a prominent Russian-American mathematician and computer scientist. He made significant contributions to the field of computational complexity theory and was a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for many years.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the Samarin surname throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence in various spheres of Russian and international society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samarin
Among Census respondents with the surname Samarin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Samarin 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 Samarin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 372
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 41
- Two or more races3.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samarin
Samarin 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
#48,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 440
+27 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 49 places
2020
#52,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 429
-11 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 4,203 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,109 | 413 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,060 | 440 | 0.15 | +27 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 49 places |
| 2020 | #52,263 | 429 | 0.14 | -11 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4,203 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 Samarin 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 | #48,060 | #52,263 | -8.7% |
| Count | 440 | 429 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.14 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samarin bearers went from 440 to 429 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4,203 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,060 to #52,263.
FAQ
Samarin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samarin?
Name Census estimates that about 492 living Americans carry the surname Samarin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 696,655 residents.
How common is Samarin?
Samarin ranks #52,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 429 people with the surname Samarin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (492), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Samarin.
Has Samarin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samarin went from 440 recorded bearers to 429. That is a decrease of 11 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,060 to #52,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Samarin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samarin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Samarin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samarin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Samarin (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 Samarin mean?
An old Russian surname derived from the word for a self-willed or headstrong person. 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 Samarin (0.14 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 Samarin?
See how many people have the surname Samarin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.