2000
#12,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,236
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Seamon
A surname of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Simon or Simund, meaning "to be heard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,300 Americans carry the last name Seamon. That puts it at #14,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,024 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seamon 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 Seamon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,024
Census rank
#14,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,006 bearers of the surname Seamon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seamon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seamon
The surname Seamon has its origins in England, first appearing in the historical records during the late medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English word "sæmann," which means "seaman" or "sailor." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in maritime professions or lived in coastal areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Seamon name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it is spelled "Seman." This document provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames during the 12th century, indicating that the Seamon name had already established itself in northern England by that time.
The Seamon surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Seman." This reference suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by the late 13th century.
During the 14th century, the Seamon name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it is spelled "Seman." This record provides evidence of the name's continued presence in northern England during this period.
Notable individuals bearing the Seamon surname throughout history include John Seamon, a prominent merchant from London who lived in the early 16th century. Another notable figure is Thomas Seamon, a member of the Virginia Company who played a role in the early colonization efforts of the English in North America in the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, William Seamon (1728-1801) was a respected English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. Later, in the 19th century, James Seamon (1823-1892) was a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in various parts of the world.
Additionally, the name Seamon has been associated with several place names in England, such as Seamon's Bridge in Buckinghamshire and Seamon's Hill in Northumberland. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Seamon surname who lived in or had connections to those specific locations.
Overall, the surname Seamon has a rich history rooted in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, colonists, architects, surveyors, explorers, and naturalists, further solidifying its presence in the historical records of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seamon
Among Census respondents with the surname Seamon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Seamon 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 Seamon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 1,714
- Black or African American7.6% · 153
- Two or more races4.1% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seamon
Seamon 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
#13,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,286
+50 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 652 places
2020
#14,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
-280 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,007 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,686 | 2,236 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,338 | 2,286 | 0.77 | +50 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 652 places |
| 2020 | #14,345 | 2,006 | 0.67 | -280 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 1,007 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 Seamon 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 | #13,338 | #14,345 | -7.5% |
| Count | 2,286 | 2,006 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.67 | -12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seamon bearers went from 2,286 to 2,006 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 1,007 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,338 to #14,345.
FAQ
Seamon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seamon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,300 living Americans carry the surname Seamon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,024 residents.
How common is Seamon?
Seamon ranks #14,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,006 people with the surname Seamon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Seamon.
Has Seamon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seamon went from 2,286 recorded bearers to 2,006. That is a decrease of 280 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,338 to #14,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Seamon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seamon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Seamon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (1,714 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seamon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Seamon (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 Seamon mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Simon or Simund, meaning "to be heard." 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 Seamon (0.67 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 Seamon?
Want to know how common the surname Seamon is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.