2000
#5,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,567
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.06
Rare Last name
Seale
Derived from Old English "sēale," referring to a person who lived near a willow tree or a sallow swamp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,164 Americans carry the last name Seale. That puts it at #6,111 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seale 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Seale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,606
Census rank
#6,111
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,375 bearers of the surname Seale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6111th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seale, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seale
The surname Seale originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, deriving from the Old English word "sæl," meaning "seal," referring to the sea mammal. It likely arose as an occupational surname, indicating a person who hunted or worked with seals.
One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a person named Sele in Norfolk. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Sele, Seal, and Seale, reflecting the regional dialects of the time.
In the 13th century, records show the name Seale appearing in various locations across England, suggesting its widespread use. For instance, a Robert Sele was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.
The name Seale is also associated with several place names in England, including Seale in Surrey, which may have influenced the surname's spelling and distribution. Additionally, the name Sele appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1176, indicating its early presence in the region.
Notable individuals with the surname Seale include:
1. William Seale (1606-1680), an English MP who sat in the House of Commons between 1646 and 1653.
2. John Seale (1719-1795), a British naval officer and explorer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Sir John Seale (1566-1627), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament who served as the English ambassador to Turkey.
4. Richard Seale (1634-1701), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Gloucester from 1691 until his death.
5. Thomas Seale (1788-1834), an English engraver and book illustrator known for his work on literary classics.
While the surname Seale has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seale
Among Census respondents with the surname Seale, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Seale 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 Seale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 4,375
- Black or African American8.8% · 473
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 242
- Two or more races4.4% · 235
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seale
Seale 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
#5,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,846
+279 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 196 places
2020
#6,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,375
-471 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 206 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,709 | 5,567 | 2.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,905 | 5,846 | 1.98 | +279 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 196 places |
| 2020 | #6,111 | 5,375 | 1.80 | -471 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 206 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 Seale 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 | #5,905 | #6,111 | -3.5% |
| Count | 5,846 | 5,375 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.98 | 1.80 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seale bearers went from 5,846 to 5,375 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 206 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,905 to #6,111.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Seale
FAQ
Seale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seale?
Name Census estimates that about 6,164 living Americans carry the surname Seale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,606 residents.
How common is Seale?
Seale ranks #6,111 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,375 people with the surname Seale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Seale.
Has Seale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seale went from 5,846 recorded bearers to 5,375. That is a decrease of 471 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,905 to #6,111.
What does the Census say about the background of Seale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seale, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Seale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (4,375 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (8.8%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Seale (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 Seale mean?
Derived from Old English "sēale," referring to a person who lived near a willow tree or a sallow 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 Seale (1.80 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 Seale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.