2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sangco
A surname likely derived from a place name or descriptive term in the Philippines.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Sangco. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sangco 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Sangco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sangco, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sangco
The surname Sangco has its origins in the Philippines, tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Cebuano language, with the root word "sang" meaning "from" or "belonging to," and "co" potentially referring to a place name or clan affiliation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sangco can be found in the Spanish colonial records of the Philippines, where it appeared as a reference to a local chieftain or leader during the early years of Spanish colonization. This suggests that the name may have held a certain degree of prominence or significance within the indigenous communities of that era.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Sangco was Juan Sangco, a prominent landowner and businessman in the Visayas region of the Philippines. His descendants continued to play an influential role in the economic and social fabric of the region for several generations.
As the Spanish colonial period progressed, the name Sangco began to appear more frequently in official records, such as birth, marriage, and death registers, as well as land ownership documents. This indicates that the name had become more widely adopted and integrated into the broader Filipino society.
In the 19th century, a notable individual with the surname Sangco was Maria Sangco, a renowned educator and advocate for women's rights in the Philippines. She established several schools and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for women, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of education and social reform.
Another prominent figure was Pedro Sangco, who played a significant role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century. He was a distinguished military leader and strategist, and his contributions were instrumental in shaping the course of the revolution.
As the 20th century dawned, the Sangco surname continued to be present in various spheres of Filipino society. One notable individual was Josefa Sangco, a celebrated artist and painter whose works captured the vibrant culture and landscapes of the Philippines. Her artwork has been widely exhibited and is held in high regard by art enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Throughout its history, the surname Sangco has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of Filipino culture and society. While the precise origins and meanings may have evolved over time, the name continues to hold a distinct place in the annals of Philippine history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sangco
Among Census respondents with the surname Sangco, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sangco 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 Sangco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.8% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- White2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sangco
Sangco appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,162 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 Sangco 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 | #142,108 | #144,270 | -1.5% |
| Count | 117 | 117 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sangco bearers went from 117 to 117 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #144,270.
FAQ
Sangco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sangco?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Sangco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Sangco?
Sangco ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Sangco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Sangco.
Has Sangco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sangco went from 117 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Sangco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sangco, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sangco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sangco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.8%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Sangco (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 Sangco mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or descriptive term in the Philippines. 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 Sangco (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 last name Sangco?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Sangco at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.