Sassen last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Sassen

A surname derived from the German word "Sasse," meaning inhabitant of an isolated dwelling.

Sassen, 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 Sassen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sassen in America

Sassen is the 88685th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sassen surname appeared 209 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 Sassen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sassen 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank886857854912.12%
Count209226-7.82%
Proportion per 100k0.070.08-13.33%

The history of the last name Sassen

The surname Sassen is of German origin, derived from the Low German word "sass" or "sasse," which means "settler" or "inhabitant." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Lower Saxony and Westphalia, where Low German dialects were spoken.

The earliest known records of the name Sassen date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, appearing in various medieval documents and records from these regions. One notable example is the mention of a "Johannes Sassen" in a land registry from the town of Osnabrück, dated 1327.

During the Middle Ages, the Sassen surname was often associated with individuals who had settled in a particular area or village. It was not uncommon for surnames to be derived from occupations or descriptive terms at that time. The name Sassen likely referred to someone who was a settler or established resident of a specific location.

In the 16th century, the Sassen surname can be found in various records from different parts of Germany, indicating the spread of the name across the region. One notable individual from this period was Hans Sassen, a German painter and engraver born around 1550 in Nuremberg.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sassen surname continued to be prevalent in Germany, particularly in the northern states. One notable figure from this era was Johann Sassen, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1677 in Oldenburg.

In the 19th century, the Sassen surname gained recognition through several individuals, including Friedrich Sassen, a German historian and writer born in 1828 in Münster. Another prominent figure was Karl Sassen, a German Catholic theologian and writer, born in 1833 in Cologne.

As the 20th century approached, the Sassen surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Hans Sassen, a German painter and printmaker born in 1900 in Berlin. Additionally, there was Katharina Sassen, a German writer and poet born in 1924 in Düsseldorf.

While the Sassen surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and the diaspora of German communities. However, the origin and historical significance of the name can be traced back to the northern regions of Germany, where it emerged as a descriptor for settlers and established residents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sassen

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

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 Sassen was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only94.74%198
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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 Sassen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White94.74%95.58%-0.88%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races(S)%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic(S)%2.65%(S)%

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 Sassen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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