2000
#15,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,681
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Sanon
A French surname derived from the given name Sanon, which is of unknown meaning or origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,431 Americans carry the last name Sanon. That puts it at #10,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,899 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sanon 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
3.4K
1 in 99,899
Census rank
#10,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,992 bearers of the surname Sanon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sanon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sanon
The surname SANON originates from Haiti and is believed to have derived from the French surname Sanon, which itself has origins in the Latin word "sanus" meaning "healthy" or "sound." The name is thought to have been introduced to Haiti during the French colonial period, which lasted from the 17th to the early 19th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SANON surname can be found in the records of the French colonial administration in Haiti, dating back to the late 18th century. During this period, the name was often associated with families of mixed French and African descent, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that shaped Haitian society.
The SANON surname has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was Pierre SANON, a prominent Haitian poet and writer who lived from 1916 to 2008. His work explored themes of national identity, social justice, and the experiences of the Haitian diaspora.
Another significant figure with the SANON surname was Marie-Thérèse SANON, a Haitian human rights activist and feminist who played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights and social reforms in the country during the latter half of the 20th century.
In the realm of politics, Jean-Claude SANON served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Haiti from 2004 to 2005, during a period of political upheaval and transition in the country.
The SANON name has also been carried by individuals in other fields, such as the Haitian-American actor and filmmaker Régine SANON, who has appeared in various television shows and independent films throughout her career.
One of the earliest recorded instances of a place name associated with the SANON surname is the town of Sanon in the Artibonite region of Haiti. This small community likely played a role in the dissemination of the name throughout the country.
While the SANON surname is most prevalent in Haiti and among the Haitian diaspora, it has also been found in other parts of the world, reflecting the global migration patterns of Haitian families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sanon
Among Census respondents with the surname Sanon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sanon 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 Sanon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.1% · 2,696
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 106
- Two or more races3.1% · 93
- White1.8% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sanon
Sanon 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
#10,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,943
+1,262 bearers (+75.1%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 5,067 places
2020
#10,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,992
+49 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,889 | 1,681 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,822 | 2,943 | 1.00 | +1,262 bearers (+75.1%) | Up 5,067 places |
| 2020 | #10,248 | 2,992 | 1.00 | +49 bearers (+1.7%) | Up 574 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 Sanon 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 | #10,822 | #10,248 | 5.3% |
| Count | 2,943 | 2,992 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sanon bearers went from 2,943 to 2,992 (+1.7% change). The surname moved up 574 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,822 to #10,248.
FAQ
Sanon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sanon?
Name Census estimates that about 3,431 living Americans carry the surname Sanon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,899 residents.
How common is Sanon?
Sanon ranks #10,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,992 people with the surname Sanon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sanon.
Has Sanon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sanon went from 2,943 recorded bearers to 2,992. That is an increase of 49 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,822 to #10,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Sanon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sanon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sanon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,696 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sanon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Sanon (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 Sanon mean?
A French surname derived from the given name Sanon, which is of unknown meaning or origin. 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 Sanon (1.00 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 common is the surname Sanon?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Sanon, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.