2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sancomb
A locational surname referring to someone from Sancom or similar place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Sancomb. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sancomb 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Sancomb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sancomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sancomb
The surname Sancomb has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Sancomb or a similar-sounding location. The name may also have evolved from an old English word or a combination of words related to a topographical feature or a personal characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sancomb can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in certain regions of the country by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Sancomb residing in Gloucestershire, indicating the presence of the name in that county. Around the same time, a family with the name Sancomb was documented in the village of Sancombe, near Taunton in Somerset. This place name may have been the source of the surname, or the surname may have influenced the naming of the village.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Sancomb was John Sancomb, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He was born in 1530 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Sancomb family settled in Wiltshire, where they were landowners and influential members of the local community. One of the most prominent individuals from this lineage was Sir Thomas Sancomb (1620-1692), a Member of Parliament and a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was William Sancomb (1701-1778), a renowned architect and surveyor from Somerset. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the region, including the grand manor house of Sancombe Park, which may have been named after his family.
As the centuries passed, the Sancomb name spread across various parts of England, with pockets of families residing in counties like Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. Despite its relative rarity compared to some other English surnames, the name has persisted through generations, with individuals carrying on the legacy of their ancestors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sancomb
Among Census respondents with the surname Sancomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sancomb 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 Sancomb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 11
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sancomb
Sancomb 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+12 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,881 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-14 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 1,881 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 14,173 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 Sancomb 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 | #133,048 | #147,221 | -10.7% |
| Count | 127 | 113 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sancomb bearers went from 127 to 113 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 14,173 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #147,221.
FAQ
Sancomb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sancomb?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Sancomb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Sancomb?
Sancomb ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Sancomb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Sancomb.
Has Sancomb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sancomb went from 127 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Sancomb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sancomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Sancomb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sancomb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (9.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Sancomb (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 Sancomb mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Sancom or similar place name. 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 Sancomb (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 are called Sancomb?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Sancomb is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.