2000
#14,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,820
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Seales
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of seals, stamps, or signet rings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,324 Americans carry the last name Seales. That puts it at #14,217 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,485 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seales 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 Seales with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,485
Census rank
#14,217
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,027 bearers of the surname Seales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14217th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seales, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seales
The surname Seales has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "sæl," meaning "seal" or "sea lion," indicating that the earliest bearers of this name were likely associated with coastal areas or involved in maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Seales surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John Sele is mentioned. This document served as a census of landowners in England during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Sele, Selie, and Sely, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. The surname is also linked to certain place names, such as Seal in Kent, which was formerly known as "Sele."
During the 15th century, the Seales surname gained prominence with the rise of notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was William Seales (c. 1460-1535), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton and played a significant role in the establishment of the Church of England during the Reformation.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir John Seales (c. 1520-1593), a successful merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1585. His wealth and influence allowed him to contribute to the development of the city, including the construction of several public buildings.
In the 17th century, the Seales family extended their reach to the American colonies. One prominent member was Edward Seales (c. 1645-1718), a merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia and became a prominent figure in the colony's government and social circles.
The 18th century saw the birth of John Seales (1728-1804), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
As the centuries progressed, the Seales surname continued to be represented in various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts. Notable individuals include the British writer and critic John Seales (1892-1975) and the American painter and printmaker Robert Seales (1913-1997).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seales
Among Census respondents with the surname Seales, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Seales 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 Seales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.0% · 973
- Black or African American39.5% · 800
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 146
- Two or more races4.2% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seales
Seales 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
#14,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
+250 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 486 places
2020
#14,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,027
-43 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 217 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,920 | 1,820 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,434 | 2,070 | 0.70 | +250 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 486 places |
| 2020 | #14,217 | 2,027 | 0.68 | -43 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 217 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 Seales 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 | #14,434 | #14,217 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,070 | 2,027 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.68 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seales bearers went from 2,070 to 2,027 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 217 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,434 to #14,217.
FAQ
Seales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seales?
Name Census estimates that about 2,324 living Americans carry the surname Seales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,485 residents.
How common is Seales?
Seales ranks #14,217 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,027 people with the surname Seales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,324), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Seales.
Has Seales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seales went from 2,070 recorded bearers to 2,027. That is a decrease of 43 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,434 to #14,217.
What does the Census say about the background of Seales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seales, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.2%). 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 Seales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.0% (973 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.0%), Black (39.5%), Hispanic (7.2%). 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 Seales (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 Seales mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of seals, stamps, or signet rings. 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 Seales (0.68 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 common is the surname Seales?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Seales? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.