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

Sands, 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 Sands surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sands in America

Sands is the 1944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sands surname appeared 18,584 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Sands.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sands 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 Sands

The surname Sands is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "sand," which refers to the loose granular material found on beaches and deserts. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a sandy area or worked with sand in some capacity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sands can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a man named Robert de Sandes is mentioned. The prefix "de" in this spelling indicates that the name was likely a locational surname, referring to a particular place or settlement.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various English records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1316, where a William del Sandes is listed. The spelling "del" is another variation of the locational prefix, suggesting the name's geographical origins.

The Sands surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a John de Sandes is recorded. This document was a tax roll, indicating that the Sands family had established themselves as landowners or members of the gentry by that time.

One notable figure with the surname Sands was James Sands (1622-1695), an English merchant and philosopher born in Worcestershire. He is known for his work "An Explanation of the Excellent Fable of the Falcon," which explored the philosophical principles of government and society.

Another historically significant individual was Samuel Sands (1636-1685), an English Puritan minister and writer who was ejected from his living after the Act of Uniformity in 1662. He is remembered for his religious works and his opposition to the established Church of England.

In the 18th century, the Sands surname appears in various records, including the Berkshire Marriage Indexes, which mention a John Sands marrying Mary Turrell in 1733. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by that time.

Robert Charles Sands (1799-1832) was a notable American writer and editor from New York City. He co-founded the literary magazine "The Atlantic Souvenir" and was part of the Knickerbocker Group of writers, which included Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper.

Lastly, Benjamin Franklin Sands (1811-1883) was an American physician and educator from Baltimore, Maryland. He served as the president of the American Medical Association and was a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, making significant contributions to the field of medical education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sands

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

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

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

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