2000
#3,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,986
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.33
Uncommon Last name
Sarmiento
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living near a thicket of twigs or a place where vines grow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,449 Americans carry the last name Sarmiento. That puts it at #2,456 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sarmiento 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 Sarmiento with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 20,837
Census rank
#2,456
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,344 bearers of the surname Sarmiento in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2456th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarmiento, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.3%) and White (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sarmiento
The surname Sarmiento has its origins in Spain, with records dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "sarmentum," meaning a small branch or twig, possibly referring to someone who lived near a vineyard or a wooded area.
One of the earliest known references to the name Sarmiento can be found in the 13th-century manuscript "Libro de la Montería" by King Alfonso XI of Castile, which mentions a nobleman named Pedro Rodríguez Sarmiento.
In the 15th century, the Sarmiento family played a prominent role in the history of Spain. Diego Gómez Sarmiento de Villandrando (1380-1459) was a renowned military leader and diplomat who served under King Juan II of Castile. Later, Pedro Ruiz de Sarmiento (1450-1508) became a respected bishop and writer.
The name Sarmiento also appears in various place names across Spain, such as Sarmienta and Sarmentero, further indicating its long-standing presence in the region.
During the Age of Exploration, several individuals with the surname Sarmiento made significant contributions. Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (c. 1532-1592) was a Spanish navigator and explorer who explored the Strait of Magellan and founded the city of Nombre de Jesús in what is now Chile.
Another notable figure was Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (1811-1888), a prominent Argentine writer, statesman, and educator who served as the President of Argentina from 1868 to 1874. He played a crucial role in shaping Argentina's education system and promoting the country's development.
In the realm of literature, José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776-1827), a Mexican writer and journalist, was also known by his pen name "El Pensador Mexicano" (The Mexican Thinker). His works, such as "El Periquillo Sarniento," were instrumental in the development of Mexican literature.
As the name spread beyond Spain, it also gained prominence in other parts of the world. For instance, Domingo Sarmiento (1825-1888) was a Chilean naval officer and politician who served as the President of Chile from 1886 to 1891, while José Antonio Sarmiento (1868-1932) was a renowned Uruguayan painter and sculptor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sarmiento
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarmiento, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.3%) and White (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sarmiento 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 Sarmiento surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino71.1% · 10,204
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.3% · 3,052
- White5.2% · 741
- Two or more races1.7% · 250
- Black or African American0.4% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sarmiento
Sarmiento 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
#2,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,710
+4,724 bearers (+52.6%)
Per 100,000 4.65
Rank movement Up 999 places
2020
#2,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,344
+634 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 4.80
Rank movement Up 175 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,630 | 8,986 | 3.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,631 | 13,710 | 4.65 | +4,724 bearers (+52.6%) | Up 999 places |
| 2020 | #2,456 | 14,344 | 4.80 | +634 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 175 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 Sarmiento 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 | #2,631 | #2,456 | 6.7% |
| Count | 13,710 | 14,344 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.65 | 4.80 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sarmiento bearers went from 13,710 to 14,344 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 175 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,631 to #2,456.
FAQ
Sarmiento surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sarmiento?
Name Census estimates that about 16,449 living Americans carry the surname Sarmiento. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,837 residents.
How common is Sarmiento?
Sarmiento ranks #2,456 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,344 people with the surname Sarmiento. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,449), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Sarmiento.
Has Sarmiento become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sarmiento went from 13,710 recorded bearers to 14,344. That is an increase of 634 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,631 to #2,456.
What does the Census say about the background of Sarmiento?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarmiento, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.3%) and White (5.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sarmiento in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.1% (10,204 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sarmiento appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (71.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.3%), White (5.2%). 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 Sarmiento (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 Sarmiento mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living near a thicket of twigs or a place where vines grow. 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 Sarmiento (4.80 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 have the surname Sarmiento?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.