Find out how popular the last name Samba is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Samba.

Samba, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Samba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samba in America

Samba is the 55386th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samba surname appeared 371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Samba.

We can also compare 2010 data for Samba to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Samba

The surname Samba is believed to have originated in Portugal, likely derived from a place name or an older Portuguese word. It may have roots in the Latin word "sambucus," which referred to the elder tree or its berries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Samba surname can be found in the 16th century, with references to individuals bearing this name in various historical documents from that period. For example, records from the Portuguese Inquisition mention a certain João Samba, who was a merchant living in Lisbon in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, there are mentions of a Portuguese explorer named Diogo Samba, who was part of expeditions to Brazil and other parts of South America. His travels and exploits are documented in some colonial-era manuscripts and logs from that time.

The Samba surname also appears in some 18th-century records from the Azores Islands, a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. These records indicate that Samba was a relatively common surname among families living on the islands during that period.

One notable individual with the Samba surname was José Samba (1792-1868), a Portuguese poet and writer who gained recognition for his works in the Romantic literary movement of the early 19th century.

Another prominent figure was Luís Samba (1835-1910), a Portuguese politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1897 to 1900. He was a prominent figure in the country's political landscape during the late 19th century.

In the 20th century, a famous Brazilian musician and composer named Ary Barroso (1903-1964) was born Ary Samba. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the samba music genre and is credited with composing some of the most iconic samba songs in Brazilian music history.

Additionally, there was a Portuguese footballer named Tó Samba (1935-2018), who played as a striker for several clubs in the 1950s and 1960s, including Sporting CP and the Portuguese national team.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Samba surname throughout history, reflecting its Portuguese origins and its presence in various cultural and professional spheres over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samba

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Samba.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Samba was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Samba has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Samba was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Samba, please contact us.

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