2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sampe
A surname potentially derived from the Italian word "sampa" meaning rocky land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Sampe. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sampe 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Sampe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampe, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Hispanic (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sampe
The surname SAMPE has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "sampa," which referred to a type of coarse wool or cloth. The name may have initially been used to identify individuals who worked with this material, such as weavers or merchants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, where a merchant named Juan Sampe is mentioned in a document from 1487. This suggests that the name was already established in southern Spain during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the SAMPE surname appears to have spread to other regions of Spain, including Catalonia and Aragon. A notable figure from this era was Diego Sampe, a military commander who fought in the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals bearing the SAMPE name. One such person was Antonio Sampe, a renowned playwright and poet who was born in Madrid in 1612. His works, including the play "La Vida es Sueño," were highly celebrated during the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 18th century, the SAMPE family established a stronghold in the city of Valencia. A wealthy merchant named Javier Sampe is recorded as having played a significant role in the city's economic growth during this period.
As the centuries progressed, the SAMPE surname continued to be associated with notable figures in various fields. In the 19th century, María Sampe was a celebrated painter known for her portraits and landscapes. She was born in Barcelona in 1823 and gained recognition throughout Spain and Europe.
Another prominent individual was Enrique Sampe, a distinguished engineer who lived from 1845 to 1912. He was instrumental in the construction of several major infrastructure projects in Spain, including the construction of railways and bridges.
The SAMPE name has also been carried by individuals in the arts and academia. For instance, Arturo Sampe was a renowned composer and music theorist who taught at the University of Madrid in the early 20th century.
While the surname SAMPE is not as common as some other Spanish surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the textile industry of medieval Spain. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions across various fields, leaving a lasting impact on Spanish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sampe
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampe, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Hispanic (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sampe 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 Sampe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.8% · 76
- Black or African American18.2% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 10
- Two or more races8.3% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sampe
Sampe 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,994 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 14,994 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 5,944 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 Sampe 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 | #147,253 | #141,309 | 4.0% |
| Count | 112 | 121 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sampe bearers went from 112 to 121 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #141,309.
FAQ
Sampe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sampe?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Sampe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Sampe?
Sampe ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Sampe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sampe.
Has Sampe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sampe went from 112 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 9 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Sampe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampe, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Sampe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.8% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sampe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.8%), Black (18.2%), Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Sampe (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 Sampe mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Italian word "sampa" meaning rocky land. 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 Sampe (0.04 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 have the surname Sampe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.