2000
#3,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,245
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.06
Rare Last name
Sandlin
A habitational surname derived from various places in England, likely referring to a sandy area or sand dune.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,227 Americans carry the last name Sandlin. That puts it at #4,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,147 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sandlin 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
9.2K
1 in 37,147
Census rank
#4,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,046 bearers of the surname Sandlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sandlin
The surname Sandlin has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "sand" and "linn," meaning "sandy stream" or "sandy pool." This suggests that the name was originally a descriptive one, referring to someone who lived near a sandy stream or pool.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Sandlin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Radulfus de Sandlene is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the end of the 12th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, including Sandlene, Sandelyn, and Sandeleyn, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a John de Sandelyn living in Oxfordshire.
During the 14th century, the name Sandlin began to appear in connection with place names, such as Sandlin in Bedfordshire and Sandling in Kent. These place names likely originated from the surname itself, indicating that the Sandlin family had established settlements in these areas.
One notable bearer of the Sandlin name was Sir John Sandlin, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He is mentioned in the contemporary chronicles of the battle for his bravery and leadership.
In the 16th century, the Sandlin family gained prominence in the county of Warwickshire, where they owned lands and estates. One member of this branch, William Sandlin (1520-1588), served as a member of Parliament for Warwick during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another significant figure was Thomas Sandlin (1632-1692), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick. He was known for his extensive writings on theology and his contributions to the intellectual life of the time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sandlin name continued to appear in various records and documents across England, indicating the widespread distribution of the family. Some notable individuals from this period include John Sandlin (1670-1742), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, and Elizabeth Sandlin (1715-1781), a renowned writer and poet whose works were published and widely read in her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sandlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sandlin 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 Sandlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 7,017
- Two or more races4.4% · 358
- Black or African American3.8% · 303
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 245
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sandlin
Sandlin 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
#4,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,421
+176 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Down 255 places
2020
#4,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,046
-375 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,951 | 8,245 | 3.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,206 | 8,421 | 2.85 | +176 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 255 places |
| 2020 | #4,263 | 8,046 | 2.69 | -375 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 57 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 Sandlin 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 | #4,206 | #4,263 | -1.4% |
| Count | 8,421 | 8,046 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.85 | 2.69 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sandlin bearers went from 8,421 to 8,046 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,206 to #4,263.
FAQ
Sandlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sandlin?
Name Census estimates that about 9,227 living Americans carry the surname Sandlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,147 residents.
How common is Sandlin?
Sandlin ranks #4,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,046 people with the surname Sandlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sandlin.
Has Sandlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sandlin went from 8,421 recorded bearers to 8,046. That is a decrease of 375 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,206 to #4,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Sandlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.8%). 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 Sandlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (7,017 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sandlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (3.8%). 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 Sandlin (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 Sandlin mean?
A habitational surname derived from various places in England, likely referring to a sandy area or sand dune. 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 Sandlin (2.69 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 Sandlin?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Sandlin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.