2000
#9,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,034
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Seguin
A French toponymic surname indicating someone from any of several places called Séguin, derived from the Latin word "secundus," meaning "second."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,498 Americans carry the last name Seguin. That puts it at #10,077 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seguin 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
3.5K
1 in 97,986
Census rank
#10,077
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,050 bearers of the surname Seguin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10077th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seguin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seguin
The surname Seguin originates from France and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the ancient French word "sequier," which means "to follow" or "to pursue." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a pursuer, hunter, or tracker.
In the 11th century, the name Seguin appeared in the famous Domesday Book, a record of landowners and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This early mention indicates that the name was already well-established in Normandy and other parts of northern France.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Seguin was Geoffroy Seguin, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the leadership of King Richard I of England. He was known for his bravery and military prowess during the siege of Acre.
In the 13th century, the name Seguin was closely associated with the town of Seguin in the Indre-et-Loire region of France. This place name likely originated from the Latin word "sequanus," meaning "follower" or "pursuer," further reinforcing the possible derivation of the surname.
One of the most notable individuals bearing the Seguin surname was Jean-Pierre Seguin (1775-1835), a French physician and physiologist. He made significant contributions to the study of blood circulation and is credited with the discovery of the Seguin lines, which are visible markings on the skin caused by the course of blood vessels.
Another prominent figure was Philippe Seguin (1924-2010), a French politician who served as the President of the National Assembly from 1993 to 1997. He played a crucial role in the debates surrounding the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty and was known for his opposition to further European integration.
In the realm of literature, Louis Seguin (1819-1894) was a French novelist and playwright. He is best known for his novel "Les Noces d'Or" (The Golden Wedding), which depicts the lives of the bourgeoisie in 19th-century France.
The surname Seguin has also been associated with several places in Canada, particularly in the province of Quebec. For example, the town of Seguin in the Laurentian region bears the name, likely due to early French settlers with the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seguin
Among Census respondents with the surname Seguin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Seguin 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 Seguin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 2,550
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 289
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 88
- Two or more races2.9% · 87
- Black or African American1.1% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seguin
Seguin 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
#9,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,259
+225 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#10,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,050
-209 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,831 | 3,034 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,912 | 3,259 | 1.10 | +225 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #10,077 | 3,050 | 1.02 | -209 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 165 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 Seguin 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 | #9,912 | #10,077 | -1.7% |
| Count | 3,259 | 3,050 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.02 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seguin bearers went from 3,259 to 3,050 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 165 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,912 to #10,077.
FAQ
Seguin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seguin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,498 living Americans carry the surname Seguin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,986 residents.
How common is Seguin?
Seguin ranks #10,077 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,050 people with the surname Seguin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Seguin.
Has Seguin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seguin went from 3,259 recorded bearers to 3,050. That is a decrease of 209 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,912 to #10,077.
What does the Census say about the background of Seguin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seguin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Seguin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (2,550 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seguin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Hispanic (9.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Seguin (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 Seguin mean?
A French toponymic surname indicating someone from any of several places called Séguin, derived from the Latin word "secundus," meaning "second." 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 Seguin (1.02 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 Seguin?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Seguin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.