2000
#2,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,260
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.92
Uncommon Last name
Seaman
An occupational surname referring to a mariner or sailor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,784 Americans carry the last name Seaman. That puts it at #2,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seaman 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 Seaman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,866
Census rank
#2,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,020 bearers of the surname Seaman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seaman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seaman
The surname SEAMAN originated in England and is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "sæ" meaning sea and "mann" meaning man. It referred to someone who worked as a sailor or mariner on ships.
The earliest recorded instances of the SEAMAN surname date back to the late 12th century in various county records across England. In the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, a Richard le Seman is mentioned. The surname also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273 as Seman.
Throughout the medieval period, the SEAMAN name was prevalent in coastal regions of England, particularly in counties such as Devon, Dorset, and Somerset. This aligns with the occupation's connection to maritime activities and proximity to the sea.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the SEAMAN surname was Sir John Seaman (c. 1350-1418), a Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1390 and 1395. He was also a prominent landowner and held the manor of Wrington in Somerset.
Another early record of the name can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 for Gloucestershire, which lists a William le Seman. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that era.
In the 16th century, the SEAMAN surname is documented in various records, including the baptismal register of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, which mentions a John Seaman in 1558.
A notable figure from the 17th century was Richard Seaman (1600-1654), an English Puritan clergyman and member of the Westminster Assembly. He was a prominent religious leader during the English Civil War era.
During the 18th century, the SEAMAN name appeared in various parish records across England, such as the baptism of Joseph Seaman in 1726 at St. Botolph's Church in Aldgate, London.
One of the most famous individuals with the SEAMAN surname was the British explorer and writer Owen Seaman (1861-1936). He was a renowned traveler and author who wrote extensively about his adventures in Africa and Asia.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the SEAMAN surname in England, with its origins rooted in the maritime occupations of early English society. The name has persisted throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring connection to the seafaring heritage of the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seaman
Among Census respondents with the surname Seaman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Seaman 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 Seaman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 10,754
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 477
- Two or more races3.5% · 419
- Black or African American1.5% · 185
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 131
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seaman
Seaman 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
#2,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,237
-23 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 4.49
Rank movement Down 227 places
2020
#2,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,020
-1,217 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Down 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,492 | 13,260 | 4.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,719 | 13,237 | 4.49 | -23 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 227 places |
| 2020 | #2,926 | 12,020 | 4.02 | -1,217 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 207 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 Seaman 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 | #2,719 | #2,926 | -7.6% |
| Count | 13,237 | 12,020 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.49 | 4.02 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seaman bearers went from 13,237 to 12,020 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,719 to #2,926.
FAQ
Seaman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seaman?
Name Census estimates that about 13,784 living Americans carry the surname Seaman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,866 residents.
How common is Seaman?
Seaman ranks #2,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,020 people with the surname Seaman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,784), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Seaman.
Has Seaman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seaman went from 13,237 recorded bearers to 12,020. That is a decrease of 1,217 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,719 to #2,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Seaman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seaman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Seaman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (10,754 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seaman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Seaman (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 Seaman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a mariner or sailor. 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 Seaman (4.02 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 Seaman?
Want to know how many people have the surname Seaman? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.