2000
#12,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Seamans
An occupational surname referring to a seaman, mariner, or one who works on ships or boats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,265 Americans carry the last name Seamans. That puts it at #14,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,326 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seamans 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 Seamans with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,326
Census rank
#14,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,975 bearers of the surname Seamans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seamans, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seamans
The surname Seamans is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words 'sæmann' or 'sæman', meaning a sailor or seafarer. The name is believed to have originated in coastal regions of England, where many individuals were engaged in maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Seamans can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a certain William Seman is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English government during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including Seman, Seaman, and Seamann. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. The surname is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Seamans surname gained prominence in England. One notable individual was Edward Seaman (1539-1625), an English political writer and philosopher who served as the Secretary of State to King James I. Another prominent figure was Lazarus Seaman (1589-1675), a Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly, which played a crucial role in the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the Seamans family had a strong presence in the coastal town of Rye, East Sussex. John Seamans (1719-1799) was a renowned shipbuilder and merchant who constructed several vessels for the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
The 19th century saw the Seamans surname spread across the globe as British emigrants sought new opportunities in various parts of the world. One notable individual was Isaac Seamans (1809-1886), a successful businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States.
Throughout history, the Seamans surname has been associated with maritime professions, reflecting its occupational origins. While the spelling variations have evolved over time, the name remains a testament to the seafaring heritage of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seamans
Among Census respondents with the surname Seamans, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Seamans 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 Seamans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 1,843
- Two or more races3.3% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seamans
Seamans 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
#14,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,120
-49 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,207 places
2020
#14,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
-145 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,961 | 2,169 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,168 | 2,120 | 0.72 | -49 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 1,207 places |
| 2020 | #14,514 | 1,975 | 0.66 | -145 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 346 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 Seamans 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 | #14,168 | #14,514 | -2.4% |
| Count | 2,120 | 1,975 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.66 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seamans bearers went from 2,120 to 1,975 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 346 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,168 to #14,514.
FAQ
Seamans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seamans?
Name Census estimates that about 2,265 living Americans carry the surname Seamans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,326 residents.
How common is Seamans?
Seamans ranks #14,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,975 people with the surname Seamans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,265), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Seamans.
Has Seamans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seamans went from 2,120 recorded bearers to 1,975. That is a decrease of 145 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,168 to #14,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Seamans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seamans, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Seamans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (1,843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seamans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Seamans (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 Seamans mean?
An occupational surname referring to a seaman, mariner, or one who works on ships or boats. 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 Seamans (0.66 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 Americans have the surname Seamans?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.