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

Sampaio, 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 Sampaio surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sampaio in America

Sampaio is the 32438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sampaio surname appeared 709 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 Sampaio.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sampaio 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 Sampaio

The surname Sampaio has its origins in Portugal. It is derived from the Portuguese place name "Sampaio," which is a parish located in the municipality of Guimarães, in the district of Braga, in northern Portugal. The name itself is believed to have originated from the Latin word "sanctus Paganus," meaning "holy pagan," referring to a pagan who converted to Christianity.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Sampaio can be traced back to the 12th century, during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Martim Pires de Sampaio, a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who fought in the Battle of Ourique in 1139, which helped secure Portuguese independence from the Kingdom of León.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Sampaio. One of the most prominent was Nuno Álvares Pereira de Sampaio (1360-1431), a Portuguese military leader and national hero who played a crucial role in the 1383-1385 crisis, which established the House of Aviz as the ruling dynasty of Portugal.

Another notable figure was Lopo Vaz de Sampaio (1465-1521), a Portuguese explorer and the first European to land on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean. He was also one of the first Europeans to establish contact with the Mariana Islands.

In the literary sphere, Vitorino José Borges Sampaio (1849-1916) was a prominent Portuguese writer, poet, and journalist who played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of his time.

Lastly, José Maria Antunes de Sampaio (1892-1949) was a distinguished Portuguese lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the President of the Portuguese Republic from 1928 to 1929.

While the surname Sampaio has its origins in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to countries with historical ties to Portugal, such as Brazil and former Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sampaio

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

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 Sampaio 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 Sampaio 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 Sampaio was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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