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

Saunooke, 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 Saunooke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saunooke in America

Saunooke is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saunooke surname appeared 136 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 Saunooke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saunooke 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 Saunooke

The surname SAUNOOKE originated among the Cherokee Native Americans in the southeastern United States. It is derived from the Cherokee word "sawnook," meaning "bear," and was likely given as a descriptive name to someone with bear-like characteristics or strength.

The earliest recorded instances of the SAUNOOKE surname date back to the late 18th century, when the Cherokee Nation began adopting European-style surnames. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Chief Saunooke, a prominent Cherokee leader born around 1760 in what is now western North Carolina.

During the Trail of Tears in the 1830s, when the Cherokee were forcibly relocated from their ancestral lands to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), many SAUNOOKE families made the difficult journey. This likely contributed to the spread of the name throughout the United States.

In the 19th century, several notable individuals bore the SAUNOOKE surname, including John Saunooke (1810-1892), a Cherokee diplomat and interpreter who played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between the Cherokee Nation and the United States government.

Another prominent figure was Jesse Saunooke (1845-1924), a Cherokee farmer and community leader who advocated for the preservation of Cherokee language and culture. He was instrumental in establishing the Cherokee National Seminary, one of the first institutions of higher education for Native Americans.

In the 20th century, Amanda Saunooke (1905-1991) was a renowned Cherokee potter and educator, known for her efforts to revive and promote traditional Cherokee arts and crafts. Her work was instrumental in preserving and passing down Cherokee cultural traditions to future generations.

While the SAUNOOKE surname is most commonly associated with the Cherokee Nation, it has also been adopted by some non-Native families over time, likely through intermarriage or cultural exchange. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich heritage and history of the Cherokee people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saunooke

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

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

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

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