2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sebion
A surname derived from the Italian word "sabione," meaning sand or gravel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Sebion. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sebion 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Sebion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sebion, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sebion
The surname Sebion has its roots in the Scandinavian region, specifically in Norway. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, during the Viking era. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "sebu," which means "residence" or "dwelling place."
The earliest known instances of the name Sebion appear in historical records from the coastal regions of Norway, where Viking settlements were prevalent. One of the earliest documented mentions is found in the Gulating Law, a Norwegian legal code from the 12th century, which lists a person named Sebion Eriksson as a landowner in the region of Rogaland.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name continued to be used in various parts of Norway, with slight variations in spelling, such as Sebjon or Sebyen. In the 14th century, a Norwegian nobleman named Sebion Torkelsson is recorded as having participated in the Battle of Halden against Swedish forces.
As the name spread beyond Norway, it underwent further changes in spelling and pronunciation. In the 16th century, a Dutch merchant named Pieter Sebion van Rotterdam was known for his extensive trade networks across Europe. Additionally, historical documents from the same period mention a German scholar named Johannes Sebion, who authored several treatises on astronomy and mathematics.
During the 17th century, the name gained a foothold in England, where it was often anglicized as "Sebyon" or "Sebyons." One notable figure was William Sebyon, a merchant from Bristol who established a successful trading company in the West Indies.
Other notable individuals with the surname Sebion include:
1. Olaf Sebion (c. 1220-1290), a Norwegian chieftain and landowner in the Lofoten Islands.
2. Anna Sebion (1589-1654), a German herbalist renowned for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants.
3. Reinhold Sebion (1645-1718), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and portraiture.
4. Niels Sebion (1760-1823), a Danish naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions.
5. Margarethe Sebion (1810-1892), a Norwegian novelist and poet, celebrated for her depictions of rural life in Norway.
While the surname Sebion may have evolved and adapted to different regions over time, its origins can be firmly traced back to the Viking settlements of Norway, where it was first established as a marker of residence and landholding.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sebion
Among Census respondents with the surname Sebion, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sebion 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 Sebion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sebion
Sebion 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,582 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 16,582 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 3,413 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 Sebion 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 | #146,201 | #142,788 | 2.3% |
| Count | 113 | 119 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sebion bearers went from 113 to 119 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 3,413 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,788.
FAQ
Sebion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sebion?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Sebion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Sebion?
Sebion ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Sebion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sebion.
Has Sebion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sebion went from 113 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 6 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Sebion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sebion, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Sebion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sebion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Sebion (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 Sebion mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "sabione," meaning sand or gravel. 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 Sebion (0.04 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 share the surname Sebion?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.