2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sandes
A Scandinavian surname derived from the Old Norse word "sandr", meaning sand or sandy soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Sandes. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sandes 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Sandes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandes, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.3%) and Black (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sandes
The surname SANDES originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "sandes," meaning "sandy" or "sandy place." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a sandy area or was associated with sandy soil.
SANDES is found in various early records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Sandis." This indicates that the name was initially used as a locational surname, referring to a place name. The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions the place name "Sandis," which could be related to the surname's origin.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname SANDES was Sir John Sandes, a prominent English soldier and courtier who lived from around 1490 to 1551. He served under Henry VIII and was appointed as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1539.
Another notable figure was George Sandes, an English Catholic priest and martyr who lived from around 1576 to 1586. He was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I for his involvement in the Babington Plot to assassinate the Queen and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.
In the 16th century, the SANDES surname was also found in Ireland, possibly introduced by English settlers. One example is Sir Walter Sandes, an English soldier and landowner who lived from around 1535 to 1610. He was granted lands in County Leix (now County Laois) by Queen Elizabeth I.
The SANDES surname has been associated with various place names, such as Sandhurst, a town in Berkshire, England, which was historically known as "Sandes" or "Sandis." This connection suggests that some individuals with this surname may have originated from or been associated with this location.
Another notable figure with the SANDES surname was William Sandes, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1576 to 1641. He served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and was a renowned scholar and theologian.
While the SANDES surname has its roots in England, it has been carried to various parts of the world through migration and settlement. The name has been found in records spanning multiple centuries, reflecting its long-standing presence in history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sandes
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandes, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.3%) and Black (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sandes 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 Sandes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino37.3% · 44
- Black or African American9.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sandes
Sandes 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 362 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 Sandes 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 | #143,149 | #143,511 | -0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 118 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sandes bearers went from 116 to 118 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #143,511.
FAQ
Sandes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sandes?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Sandes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Sandes?
Sandes ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Sandes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Sandes.
Has Sandes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sandes went from 116 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Sandes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandes, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.3%) and Black (9.3%). 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 Sandes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (59 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sandes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.0%), Hispanic (37.3%), Black (9.3%). 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 Sandes (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 Sandes mean?
A Scandinavian surname derived from the Old Norse word "sandr", meaning sand or sandy soil. 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 Sandes (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 Sandes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.