2000
#1,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,024
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.02
Uncommon Last name
Sargent
An occupational surname referring to a servant or attendant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,526 Americans carry the last name Sargent. That puts it at #1,293 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,228 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sargent 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sargent with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,228
Census rank
#1,293
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,620 bearers of the surname Sargent in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1293rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sargent, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sargent
The surname Sargent has its roots in the French language, originating from the Old French word "sergent," which itself derived from the Latin "serviens," meaning "servant." The name initially denoted a person who held a position of authority or service, often in a military or legal context.
In medieval England, the term "sergeant" was used to refer to various officials and officers, such as a sergeant-at-arms or a sergeant-at-law. It is believed that the surname Sargent emerged during this period, initially borne by individuals who held these positions or were employed in similar roles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sargent can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sargant." This historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landowners and their holdings across England.
The Sargent surname gained prominence in various parts of England, including Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. Notable individuals bearing this name include Sir John Sargent (1568-1633), an English military officer who served in the English Civil War, and Henry Sargent (1770-1845), a British artist known for his landscape paintings.
In the United States, the Sargent surname can be traced back to the early colonial era. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was William Sargent (1610-1675), an English settler who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638 and later became a prominent figure in the colony.
Another notable American with the Sargent surname was John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), a renowned portrait painter acclaimed for his virtuoso technique and elegant depictions of high society. His works, such as "Madame X" and "The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit," are considered masterpieces of American portraiture.
Other distinguished individuals with the Sargent surname include Sir John Sargent (1610-1691), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament, and Sir Henry Sargent (1770-1845), a British military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
The Sargent surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Sargentville in Maine and Sargent County in North Dakota, both in the United States, reflecting the geographical spread and influence of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sargent
Among Census respondents with the surname Sargent, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sargent 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 Sargent surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 22,083
- Black or African American7.6% · 2,030
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,146
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 927
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 250
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 184
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sargent
Sargent 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
#1,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,786
+762 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 9.42
Rank movement Down 75 places
2020
#1,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,620
-1,166 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 8.91
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,190 | 27,024 | 10.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,265 | 27,786 | 9.42 | +762 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 75 places |
| 2020 | #1,293 | 26,620 | 8.91 | -1,166 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 28 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 Sargent 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 | #1,265 | #1,293 | -2.2% |
| Count | 27,786 | 26,620 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 9.42 | 8.91 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sargent bearers went from 27,786 to 26,620 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,265 to #1,293.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sargent
FAQ
Sargent surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sargent?
Name Census estimates that about 30,526 living Americans carry the surname Sargent. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,228 residents.
How common is Sargent?
Sargent ranks #1,293 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,620 people with the surname Sargent. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,526), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Sargent.
Has Sargent become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sargent went from 27,786 recorded bearers to 26,620. That is a decrease of 1,166 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,265 to #1,293.
What does the Census say about the background of Sargent?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sargent, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Sargent in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (22,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sargent appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Sargent (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 Sargent mean?
An occupational surname referring to a servant or attendant. 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 Sargent (8.91 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 share the surname Sargent?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.