2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Scissons
A French Canadian occupational surname derived from the word "ciseaux" meaning scissors.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Scissons. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scissons 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Scissons in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scissons, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scissons
The surname Scissons has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scissor," which referred to a maker or seller of scissors. The name was likely an occupational surname, given to someone who was involved in the trade of making or selling scissors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Scissons surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk, England, dating back to 1273. This historical record lists a Robert Scissor, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time period.
In the 14th century, variations of the surname began to appear in other historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, which mention a John Scissun. This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
The Scissons surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Scissons Clough in Lancashire and Scissons Green in Yorkshire. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the connection between the name and specific geographical locations.
One notable bearer of the Scissons surname was William Scissons (1556-1624), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. His contributions to the church music of the time have been well-documented.
Another prominent figure with the Scissons surname was Robert Scissons (1638-1701), a member of the Parliament of England and a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex. He played an active role in the political and legal affairs of his time.
In the 18th century, the Scissons name appeared in various parish records and historical documents, such as the marriage record of Thomas Scissons and Mary Woodhouse in 1723 in Lincolnshire, England.
John Scissons (1779-1854), a British naval officer, served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His service and exploits during this pivotal period in British naval history are noteworthy.
The Scissons surname continued to be well-represented in various fields throughout the 19th century, with individuals like William Scissons (1812-1887), a renowned English landscape painter known for his depictions of countryside scenes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scissons
Among Census respondents with the surname Scissons, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Scissons 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 Scissons surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.7% · 71
- Two or more races16.2% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native12.0% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scissons
Scissons 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,183 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 950 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 11,183 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 950 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 Scissons 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 | #145,220 | #144,270 | 0.7% |
| Count | 114 | 117 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scissons bearers went from 114 to 117 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 950 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #144,270.
FAQ
Scissons surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scissons?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Scissons. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Scissons?
Scissons ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Scissons. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Scissons.
Has Scissons become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scissons went from 114 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Scissons?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scissons, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.0%). 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 Scissons in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scissons appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.7%), Two or More Races (16.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (12.0%). 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 Scissons (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 Scissons mean?
A French Canadian occupational surname derived from the word "ciseaux" meaning scissors. 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 Scissons (0.04 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 Scissons?
You can see how many people have the last name Scissons on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.