2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Saraga
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word "saraka", meaning a sieve or sifter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Saraga. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saraga 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Saraga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saraga, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saraga
The surname SARAGA is believed to have originated in Italy, possibly during the medieval period. It may derive from the word "saraghi," which was used to refer to certain types of fish found in the Mediterranean Sea. This suggests that the name could have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a fisherman or fish seller.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the 14th century, which mentions a family called "Saragha" residing in the coastal town of Amalfi, located in the region of Campania. This lends credence to the theory that the name was initially associated with maritime activities.
In the 15th century, the name appears in records from the city of Genoa, where a notable figure named Giovanni Saraga (1420-1498) was a prominent merchant and politician. He played a crucial role in negotiating trade agreements with other Mediterranean powers, reflecting the commercial influence of the Italian city-states during that era.
Another notable bearer of the name was Francesco Saraga (1548-1623), a renowned artist from the city of Naples. His works, which included religious paintings and frescoes, can still be found adorning churches and monasteries throughout southern Italy.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name spread to other parts of Europe, likely due to the migration of Italian families. In Spain, for instance, there is mention of a family called "Saraga" who settled in the region of Catalonia and became involved in the textile trade.
In the 18th century, the name appears in records from the island of Malta, where a man named Vincenzo Saraga (1725-1798) was a respected scholar and linguist, known for his contributions to the study of Maltese language and culture.
Throughout history, the surname SARAGA has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. While the name may have evolved from its initial maritime associations, it has become a part of the rich tapestry of Italian surnames, reflecting the country's diverse cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saraga
Among Census respondents with the surname Saraga, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Saraga 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 Saraga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 5
- Black or African American3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saraga
Saraga 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,385 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-14 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,385 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 11,129 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 Saraga 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 | #144,141 | #155,270 | -7.7% |
| Count | 115 | 101 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saraga bearers went from 115 to 101 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 11,129 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #155,270.
FAQ
Saraga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saraga?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Saraga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Saraga?
Saraga ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Saraga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Saraga.
Has Saraga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saraga went from 115 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Saraga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saraga, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%). 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 Saraga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saraga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Hispanic (8.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%). 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 Saraga (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 Saraga mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word "saraka", meaning a sieve or sifter. 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 Saraga (0.03 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 Saraga?
Want to know how common the surname Saraga is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.