2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sarnie
Of uncertain origin, possibly related to the Old English word "searnwiht" meaning lizard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Sarnie. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sarnie 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Sarnie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarnie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sarnie
The surname "SARNIE" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "sarn," which referred to a small stream or a narrow path. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived near a particular stream or traveled along a specific path.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "SARNIE" can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable example is a reference to a Roger Sarnie in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a collection of records from various counties in England. This indicates that the name was already established by that time.
In the 14th century, the name "SARNIE" appeared in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. This tax was levied on all individuals over the age of 14, providing valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames across different regions.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name "SARNIE" was Sir John Sarnie, a knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was involved in several military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
During the 16th century, the name "SARNIE" was found in various parish records and court documents. One notable figure from this era was William Sarnie, a merchant and landowner who lived in the county of Wiltshire. He was born in 1523 and died in 1587.
In the 17th century, the name "SARNIE" was sometimes spelled as "SARNY" or "SARNYE." One individual with this surname was Robert Sarnye, a clergyman who served as the rector of a parish in Gloucestershire from 1642 to 1665.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals with the surname "SARNIE." One such figure was Thomas Sarnie, a renowned architect who was born in 1720 and contributed to the design of several notable buildings in London.
In the 19th century, the name "SARNIE" remained relatively uncommon, but there were still individuals who carried this surname. One example is James Sarnie, a soldier who fought in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honor, for his bravery in 1855.
Throughout its history, the surname "SARNIE" has been associated with various places and locations, particularly in England. Some of the areas where the name was more prevalent include Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and parts of London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sarnie
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarnie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sarnie 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 Sarnie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sarnie
Sarnie 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+8 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,361 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-11 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 1,361 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 9,840 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 Sarnie 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 | #143,149 | #152,989 | -6.9% |
| Count | 116 | 105 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sarnie bearers went from 116 to 105 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 9,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #152,989.
FAQ
Sarnie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sarnie?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Sarnie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Sarnie?
Sarnie ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Sarnie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sarnie.
Has Sarnie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sarnie went from 116 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Sarnie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarnie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%). 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 Sarnie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sarnie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (4.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%). 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 Sarnie (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 Sarnie mean?
Of uncertain origin, possibly related to the Old English word "searnwiht" meaning lizard. 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 Sarnie (0.04 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 Sarnie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.