2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Seminole
An English name referring to members of the Seminole Native American tribe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Seminole. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seminole 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Seminole in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seminole, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 60.6%. The next largest groups are White (19.2%) and Two or More Races (13.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seminole
The surname "Seminole" has its origins in the indigenous people of Florida, who were known as the Seminole tribe. The name is derived from the Creek word "simanó-li," which means "runaway" or "wild people." This name was given to them by the Creek people, who they had separated from in the early 18th century.
The Seminole tribe was first documented by Spanish explorer Álvaro Fernández de Memória in 1687, who referred to them as "Cimarrones" or "Ysemoles." Over time, the name evolved into "Seminole," which became the official name of the tribe.
The earliest recorded use of the surname "Seminole" can be traced back to the late 18th century, when it was used to identify individuals who were members of the Seminole tribe or had close ties to them. One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Osceola, a famous Seminole leader who led the Seminole resistance against the forced removal of his tribe during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842).
While the surname "Seminole" is closely associated with the indigenous tribe of the same name, it has also been adopted by non-Native Americans who have had connections to the Seminole people or the state of Florida, where the tribe is historically based.
Some notable individuals with the surname "Seminole" include:
1. Jim Seminole (1936-2001), a Seminole artist and sculptor known for his works depicting Seminole culture and tradition.
2. Betty Mae Jumper Seminole (1923-2020), a renowned Seminole craftswoman and advocate for the preservation of Seminole arts and traditions.
3. James E. Seminole (1927-2001), a Seminole chief and leader who played a significant role in the development of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
4. Mary Francis Seminole (1896-1984), a Seminole storyteller and cultural preservationist who helped document and preserve Seminole folklore and traditions.
5. William Seminole (1903-1981), a Seminole artist and craftsman known for his intricate woodcarvings and other traditional Seminole art forms.
The surname "Seminole" has a rich history that is closely intertwined with the Seminole tribe and their cultural heritage. Its origins can be traced back to the early encounters between the Seminole people and European settlers in Florida, and it has since become a symbol of the resilience and strength of the Seminole community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seminole
Among Census respondents with the surname Seminole, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 60.6%. The next largest groups are White (19.2%) and Two or More Races (13.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Seminole 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 Seminole surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native60.6% · 63
- White19.2% · 20
- Two or more races13.5% · 14
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seminole
Seminole appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Seminole 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seminole bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Seminole surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seminole?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Seminole. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Seminole?
Seminole ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Seminole. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Seminole.
Has Seminole become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seminole went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Seminole?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seminole, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 60.6%. The next largest groups are White (19.2%) and Two or More Races (13.5%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Seminole in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.6% (63 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seminole appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (60.6%), White (19.2%), Two or More Races (13.5%). 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 Seminole (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 Seminole mean?
An English name referring to members of the Seminole Native American tribe. 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 Seminole (0.03 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 have the surname Seminole?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.