2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sedey
An English surname derived from the Old French word "cide", meaning inhabitant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Sedey. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sedey 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Sedey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sedey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sedey
The surname SEDEY has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sæde," which means "seed" or "sowing." This suggests that the name may have been associated with agricultural occupations or landholdings related to crop cultivation.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with similar names, such as Sedgeford in Norfolk and Sedgley in Staffordshire. While the direct connection to the SEDEY surname is not conclusive, these place names provide insight into the potential origins and geographic distribution of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SEDEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1230, where a person named Robert Sedey is mentioned. This document was a record of financial transactions and accounts kept by the English Exchequer.
During the 14th century, the surname SEDEY appeared in various records across different counties in England. Notable examples include John Sedey, who was a landowner in Oxfordshire in 1327, and William Sedey, a merchant recorded in the Guild Rolls of York in 1379.
In the 15th century, the surname SEDEY gained prominence with the birth of Sir Edward Sedey (1435-1498), a prominent English knight and landowner. He served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VII and was known for his military exploits during the Wars of the Roses.
Another notable figure was Thomas Sedey (1563-1631), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Ely in Cambridgeshire. He was known for his theological writings and contributions to the Church of England.
In the 17th century, the SEDEY surname was associated with the English Civil War. Captain John Sedey (1610-1678) was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I against the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell.
The surname SEDEY also has a connection to the arts, with the renowned poet and playwright John Sedey (1715-1788) being a prominent figure during the Enlightenment era. His works were widely celebrated and influenced the literary landscape of his time.
Throughout the centuries, the SEDEY surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Sedy, Seddie, and Seedy, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in its agricultural and occupational associations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sedey
Among Census respondents with the surname Sedey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sedey 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 Sedey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sedey
Sedey 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,893 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+16 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 16,893 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 15,442 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 Sedey 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 | #159,712 | #144,270 | 9.7% |
| Count | 101 | 117 | 15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sedey bearers went from 101 to 117 (+15.8% change). The surname moved up 15,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #144,270.
FAQ
Sedey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sedey?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Sedey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Sedey?
Sedey ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Sedey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Sedey.
Has Sedey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sedey went from 101 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 16 (+15.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Sedey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sedey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Sedey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sedey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Sedey (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 Sedey mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French word "cide", meaning inhabitant. 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 Sedey (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 Americans have the surname Sedey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.