2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sedman
A surname derived from the Old English "sæd" meaning "sated" or "satisfied."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Sedman. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sedman 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 Sedman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Sedman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sedman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sedman
The surname Sedman originated in England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "sed" meaning "ruddy" or "reddish-brown" and "mann" meaning "man". This suggests that the name may have referred to someone with a ruddy complexion or reddish-brown hair.
The earliest known record of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Sedemann". This entry indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.
Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Sedman, Sedeman, and Seedman. These variations can be found in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and court documents from the 13th to the 17th centuries.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Sedman, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Sussex, England, who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate and sheriff.
Another individual of note was William Sedman, a scholar and clergyman from Oxford, England, who lived during the late 15th century. He was known for his works on theology and philosophy, and served as a lecturer at Oxford University.
In the 16th century, a family by the name of Sedman held lands in the village of Sedgemoor, Somerset, England. The place name "Sedgemoor" is derived from the Old English words "sedge" meaning "rush" and "mor" meaning "marsh", suggesting a connection between the surname and this geographical location.
During the 17th century, a Robert Sedman was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England. He was involved in the trade of woolen goods and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the founding of a school for poor children.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Sedman, a military officer who fought in the English Civil War of the mid-17th century. He was a loyal supporter of King Charles I and played a role in several key battles during the conflict.
The Sedman surname has a long and varied history, with roots dating back to the early medieval period in England. While it may have originally referred to an individual's physical appearance, the name has been associated with various locations, occupations, and prominent individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sedman
Among Census respondents with the surname Sedman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sedman 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 Sedman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sedman
Sedman 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-27 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,216 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 32,216 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 3,957 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 Sedman 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 | #150,452 | #146,495 | 2.6% |
| Count | 109 | 114 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sedman bearers went from 109 to 114 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 3,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #146,495.
FAQ
Sedman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sedman?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Sedman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Sedman?
Sedman ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Sedman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Sedman.
Has Sedman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sedman went from 109 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 5 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Sedman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sedman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sedman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sedman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sedman (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 Sedman mean?
A surname derived from the Old English "sæd" meaning "sated" or "satisfied." 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 Sedman (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 Sedman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.