Find out how popular the last name Sarkissian is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sarkissian.

Sarkissian, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sarkissian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sarkissian in America

Sarkissian is the 18918th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sarkissian surname appeared 1,443 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sarkissian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sarkissian to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sarkissian

The surname SARKISSIAN has its origins in Armenia, a landlocked country located in the Transcaucasian region between the Black and Caspian seas. Its roots can be traced back to the early centuries of the Armenian Christian era, with the name deriving from the Armenian personal name Sarkis, which is a variant of the Greek name Sergios or Sergius.

The name Sarkis is believed to have been initially adopted by Armenians as a Christian name, as it was borne by several early Christian martyrs and saints venerated in the Armenian Apostolic Church. Over time, it evolved into a surname as a patronymic, indicating descent from an ancestor named Sarkis.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SARKISSIAN can be found in a 13th-century Armenian manuscript known as the "Lamentationes" or "Book of Lamentations," which includes a list of donors and patrons. Among them is a certain Sarkissian, suggesting the surname's use during this period.

In the 15th century, a prominent Armenian cleric and historian named Tovma Metsopetsi Sarkissian, also known as Thomas of Metsoph (c. 1390-1460), gained recognition for his historical work titled "The Chronicle of Narek." This is one of the earliest examples of a notable figure bearing the SARKISSIAN surname.

Another significant individual with this surname was Khachatur Sarkissian (1825-1899), an Armenian writer, educator, and public figure who played a crucial role in the development of modern Armenian literature and education. He founded several schools and literary societies, contributing to the cultural renaissance of the Armenian people.

During the 19th century, the SARKISSIAN surname was particularly prominent in the Armenian communities of the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire. Grigor Sarkissian (1835-1918) was an Armenian merchant and philanthropist from Tbilisi, Georgia, who became known for his charitable works and support of Armenian educational and cultural institutions.

Hovhannes Sarkissian (1892-1976), an Armenian composer and conductor, made significant contributions to the development of Armenian classical music. He composed several operas, ballets, and orchestral works, and served as the director of the Armenian State Conservatory in Yerevan for many years.

While the SARKISSIAN surname has its roots in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by Armenian immigrants and their descendants. However, its historical origins and significance remain deeply rooted in the Armenian cultural and linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sarkissian

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sarkissian.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sarkissian was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sarkissian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sarkissian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sarkissian, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!