2010
#94,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Sawadogo
A surname of Mossi origin from Burkina Faso meaning "man from Sauda village".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 602 Americans carry the last name Sawadogo. That puts it at #44,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 569,359 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sawadogo 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
602
1 in 569,359
Census rank
#44,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
525
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 525 bearers of the surname Sawadogo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawadogo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sawadogo
The surname Sawadogo originates from the West African country of Burkina Faso. It is a name that can be traced back to the Mossi ethnic group, which has inhabited the region for centuries. The name is believed to derive from the words "sa" meaning cattle and "wado" meaning owner or keeper, reflecting the pastoral heritage of the Mossi people.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sawadogo can be found in the oral traditions and historical narratives passed down through generations within the Mossi community. These accounts often reference figures or events from the 15th and 16th centuries, when the Mossi kingdoms were at the peak of their influence in the region.
The name Sawadogo has been prominent among the ruling class and nobility of the Mossi kingdoms. Historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries document several influential individuals bearing this surname, such as Naaba Sawadogo, a renowned ruler of the Ouagadougou kingdom in the late 1600s, and Mogho Naaba Sawadogo, a powerful military leader who expanded the Mossi territory in the 1700s.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the exploits of Ouédraogo Sawadogo, a renowned warrior and strategist who played a pivotal role in defending the Mossi territories against French colonial forces. His resistance efforts solidified the Sawadogo name as a symbol of bravery and resilience among the Mossi people.
Another notable figure from the late 19th century was Yennenga Sawadogo, a revered princess and legendary figure in Mossi folklore. Her story of courage and leadership in guiding her people to safety during a period of turmoil has become an integral part of the Mossi cultural heritage.
As the Mossi kingdoms declined in the 20th century, the Sawadogo name continued to hold significance, with individuals like Salfo Sawadogo, a prominent politician and advocate for Mossi rights during the early years of Burkina Faso's independence from French colonial rule.
Throughout history, the Sawadogo surname has been closely associated with the rich cultural traditions and historical narratives of the Mossi people, reflecting their resilience, leadership, and deep connection to the land and its pastoral heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sawadogo
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawadogo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sawadogo 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 Sawadogo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.1% · 494
- White3.0% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sawadogo
Sawadogo appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#44,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 525
+331 bearers (+170.6%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 50,176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #94,311 | 194 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #44,135 | 525 | 0.18 | +331 bearers (+170.6%) | Up 50,176 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 Sawadogo 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 | #94,311 | #44,135 | 53.2% |
| Count | 194 | 525 | 170.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.18 | 150.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sawadogo bearers went from 194 to 525 (+170.6% change). The surname moved up 50,176 positions in the national ranking, going from #94,311 to #44,135.
FAQ
Sawadogo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sawadogo?
Name Census estimates that about 602 living Americans carry the surname Sawadogo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 569,359 residents.
How common is Sawadogo?
Sawadogo ranks #44,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 525 people with the surname Sawadogo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (602), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Sawadogo.
Has Sawadogo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sawadogo went from 194 recorded bearers to 525. That is an increase of 331 (+170.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #94,311 to #44,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Sawadogo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawadogo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sawadogo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (494 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sawadogo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.1%), White (3.0%), Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Sawadogo (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 Sawadogo mean?
A surname of Mossi origin from Burkina Faso meaning "man from Sauda village". 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 Sawadogo (0.18 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 are called Sawadogo?
See how common the surname Sawadogo is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.