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

Saunders, 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 Saunders surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saunders in America

Saunders is the 476th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saunders surname appeared 69,943 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Saunders.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saunders 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 Saunders

The surname SAUNDERS is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French name "Saunder" or "Saundre," which itself came from the Latin name "Alexander." The name was originally a nickname for someone with a ruddy or swarthy complexion, as the Latin name "Alexander" was sometimes associated with a darker skin tone.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SAUNDERS appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1199, where a man named Robert Saunders is mentioned. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a William Saundres.

The SAUNDERS surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire during the Middle Ages. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, as they had strong connections to French culture and language due to the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

As the name spread throughout England, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Saunders, Sanders, and Saunderis. Some of these variations were influenced by local dialects and pronunciations, while others were simply the result of inconsistent record-keeping practices.

One notable historical figure with the surname SAUNDERS was Sir Edmund Saunders (c. 1590-1683), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1676 to 1683. He played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of his time and was renowned for his expertise in common law.

Another prominent individual was Nicholas Saunders (c. 1530-1581), an English Catholic priest and one of the leading figures of the Catholic Reformation in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was a vocal opponent of the Protestant Reformation and was eventually executed for his religious beliefs.

In the realm of literature, the name SAUNDERS is associated with the English writer and poet Sir Charles Saunders (1713-1775), who is best known for his satirical works and his translations of classical literature.

One of the earliest known instances of the SAUNDERS surname in America is John Saunders, who was born in England in 1589 and settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century. He was one of the founders of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Another notable American figure was Prince Saunders (1775-1839), a sailor and explorer who is credited with being the first African American to document his travels to the Arctic regions. His memoir, "A Narrative of the Travels and Adventures of Monsieur Violet," published in 1813, provided valuable insights into the lives of early African American explorers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saunders

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

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

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

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