2000
#4,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,526
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.42
Rare Last name
Sarver
An occupational surname referring to a tailor or one who served in a similar capacity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,435 Americans carry the last name Sarver. That puts it at #5,203 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sarver 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
7.4K
1 in 46,100
Census rank
#5,203
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,484 bearers of the surname Sarver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5203rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarver, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sarver
The surname Sarver is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "sarpf," which means "sharp" or "cutting." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a swordsmith, knife maker, or in a similar trade involving sharp instruments.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sarver can be found in the German city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Sarver was mentioned in a local records from the 15th century. This indicates that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 16th century, the name Sarver appeared in various forms, such as "Sarfer," "Sarffer," and "Sarfher," reflecting the different regional dialects and spelling variations of the time.
Historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries show that the Sarver family had spread across different parts of Germany, with some members settling in areas like Bavaria and Saxony.
One notable individual with the surname Sarver was Johann Sarver, a German composer who lived from 1658 to 1723. He composed several works for the church and was known for his skill in writing sacred music.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Sarver, a German philosopher and writer born in 1779. He was known for his writings on ethics and morality, and his works were influential during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the Sarver name began to appear in other parts of Europe as well. For instance, a man named Aleksandr Sarver was a Russian painter who lived from 1823 to 1892 and was known for his landscape paintings depicting rural scenes.
As the Sarver family dispersed across different regions, the name also evolved into various spellings, such as "Sarver," "Sarwer," and "Sarvier." These variations could be found in different areas of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland.
One of the more notable individuals with the surname Sarver in recent history was Hans Sarver, a German military officer who served during World War II. He was born in 1901 and became a high-ranking general in the German army, commanding several divisions during the war.
While the surname Sarver has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries. However, the origins of the name can be traced back to the German language and the possible occupation of those who worked with sharp instruments or tools.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sarver
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarver, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sarver 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 Sarver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 5,841
- Two or more races3.6% · 234
- Black or African American3.0% · 192
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 153
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sarver
Sarver 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
#5,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,780
+254 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 2.30
Rank movement Down 218 places
2020
#5,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,484
-296 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,942 | 6,526 | 2.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,160 | 6,780 | 2.30 | +254 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 218 places |
| 2020 | #5,203 | 6,484 | 2.17 | -296 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 43 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 Sarver 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 | #5,160 | #5,203 | -0.8% |
| Count | 6,780 | 6,484 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.30 | 2.17 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sarver bearers went from 6,780 to 6,484 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,160 to #5,203.
FAQ
Sarver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sarver?
Name Census estimates that about 7,435 living Americans carry the surname Sarver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,100 residents.
How common is Sarver?
Sarver ranks #5,203 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,484 people with the surname Sarver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,435), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sarver.
Has Sarver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sarver went from 6,780 recorded bearers to 6,484. That is a decrease of 296 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,160 to #5,203.
What does the Census say about the background of Sarver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarver, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Sarver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (5,841 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sarver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (3.0%). 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 Sarver (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 Sarver mean?
An occupational surname referring to a tailor or one who served in a similar capacity. 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 Sarver (2.17 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 last name Sarver?
Want to know how common the surname Sarver is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.