Sarin
A surname derived from the town of Sarine in Switzerland.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 617 Americans carry the last name Sarin. That puts it at #40,432 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 555,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sarin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
617
1 in 555,518
Census rank
#40,432
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
541
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 541 bearers of the surname Sarin in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40432nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.2%. The next largest groups are White (29.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sarin
The surname "Sarin" has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Sarini," meaning "a river or a stream." The name likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Sarin" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions a village called "Sarin" located in the present-day state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
In the late 17th century, the name appears in the records of the East India Company, where a merchant named Ramjidas Sarin is mentioned as trading in silk and spices between India and Europe. This suggests that the name was already well-established among mercantile communities at the time.
During the 18th century, the surname "Sarin" gained prominence in the region of Punjab, where it was associated with the Khatri community, a Hindu caste traditionally involved in trade and commerce. One notable figure from this period was Lala Sarin Das, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who established several educational institutions in Lahore (now in Pakistan) in the late 1700s.
In the 19th century, the name "Sarin" began to spread beyond the Indian subcontinent due to the migration of individuals and families to various parts of the British Empire. One such individual was Munshi Sarin Chand, a scholar and linguist who worked as an interpreter for the British government in India and later settled in England, where he published several works on Indian languages and culture.
Another notable figure from this era was Lala Sarin Das Khanna, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Punjab, who was born in 1855 and played a significant role in the development of the city of Amritsar. He was instrumental in establishing several educational and charitable institutions in the region.
As the 20th century dawned, the surname "Sarin" continued to be associated with individuals from diverse fields, such as academia, politics, and the arts. For example, Dr. Jyoti Sarin was a renowned physicist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics in India and served as the chairperson of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1972 to 1983.
In more recent times, the name "Sarin" has gained global recognition through individuals like Navtej Sarin, an Indian diplomat and former Foreign Secretary of India, and Navin Sarin, an accomplished business leader who served as the CEO of Vodafone India and later as the CEO of Telenor Group.
Overall, the surname "Sarin" has a rich and diverse history, spanning centuries and various regions of the Indian subcontinent. It has been carried by individuals from different walks of life, including merchants, scholars, philanthropists, scientists, and diplomats, contributing to the cultural and intellectual fabric of their respective societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sarin
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.2%. The next largest groups are White (29.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sarin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Sarin surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander63.2%
- White29.9%
- Two or more races3.9%
- Hispanic or Latino2.2%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Sarin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40,432 | #40,432 | 0.0% |
| Count | 541 | 541 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Sarin bearers went from 541 to 541 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #40,432 to #40,432.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sarin
FAQ
Sarin surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Sarin?
The surname Sarin holds position #40,432 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 617 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Sarin surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.2%. The next largest groups are White (29.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.