2000
#36,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 584
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Sawa
A surname of Japanese origin meaning "marsh" or "swamp".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 814 Americans carry the last name Sawa. That puts it at #34,389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 421,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sawa 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
814
1 in 421,074
Census rank
#34,389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
710
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 710 bearers of the surname Sawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawa, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sawa
The surname SAWA is believed to have originated in Poland, with roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Polish word "sawa," which means "raven" or "dark-colored bird." The name likely referred to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
In medieval Poland, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or locations. The SAWA surname may have initially referred to a person's appearance or been associated with a particular trade or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SAWA surname can be found in the Tarnów Land Records from the 15th century. These records document various legal transactions and property ownership in the region.
The SAWA name appeared in other historical documents as well, such as the Poznań Grodskie Records from the 16th century. These records were maintained by local courts and contained information about legal proceedings and administrative matters.
Interestingly, the SAWA surname also has connections to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Jan Sawa (1500-1570), a Polish nobleman and military commander who served under King Sigismund I the Old.
Another prominent bearer of the SAWA name was Feliks Sawa (1876-1944), a Polish engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in developing early aviation technology. He is credited with designing and constructing one of the first successful aircraft in Poland.
In the realm of literature, Michał Sawa (1857-1920) was a renowned Polish poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of Polish romantic literature in the late 19th century.
The SAWA surname can also be found in historical records related to various locations in Poland. For instance, the village of Sawy in the Masovian Voivodeship may have derived its name from the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and a specific place.
Another notable individual bearing the SAWA surname was Stanisław Sawa (1904-1992), a Polish military officer and resistance fighter during World War II. He played a key role in the Polish Underground State and was awarded several honors for his bravery and service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawa, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sawa 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 Sawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.9% · 560
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.4% · 88
- Two or more races3.9% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 24
- Black or African American1.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sawa
Sawa 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
#32,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 719
+135 bearers (+23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 4,153 places
2020
#34,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 710
-9 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,232 | 584 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,079 | 719 | 0.24 | +135 bearers (+23.1%) | Up 4,153 places |
| 2020 | #34,389 | 710 | 0.24 | -9 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 2,310 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 Sawa 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 | #32,079 | #34,389 | -7.2% |
| Count | 719 | 710 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sawa bearers went from 719 to 710 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 2,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,079 to #34,389.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sawa
FAQ
Sawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sawa?
Name Census estimates that about 814 living Americans carry the surname Sawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 421,074 residents.
How common is Sawa?
Sawa ranks #34,389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 710 people with the surname Sawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (814), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Sawa.
Has Sawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sawa went from 719 recorded bearers to 710. That is a decrease of 9 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,079 to #34,389.
What does the Census say about the background of Sawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawa, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Sawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.4%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Sawa (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 Sawa mean?
A surname of Japanese origin meaning "marsh" or "swamp". 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 Sawa (0.24 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 surname Sawa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.