2000
#5,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Senn
A Swiss German habitational surname referring to someone living near a pasture or dairy farm in the mountains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,825 Americans carry the last name Senn. That puts it at #6,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,842 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senn 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
5.8K
1 in 58,842
Census rank
#6,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,080 bearers of the surname Senn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senn
The surname SENN originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "senne," meaning a cowherd or dairyman. This occupation-based surname was commonly found in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the Black Forest areas.
In the late medieval period, the name SENN appeared in various medieval manuscripts and records. One notable example is the Heidelberg Manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a "Johann Senn" as a landowner in the town of Rottweil.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name SENN was likely Hans Senn, a cowherd from the village of Oberammergau in Bavaria, born around 1380. Another early instance of the name is found in the Wurttembergisches Urkundenbuch from 1412, which references a "Konrad Senn" from the town of Esslingen.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SENN surname spread across various German-speaking regions. In Switzerland, the name was often spelled as "Senn" or "Sen," and was particularly prevalent in the cantons of Bern and Graubünden.
One notable bearer of the SENN surname was Johann Senn, a Swiss painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century (c. 1490-1563). He is known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and mythological scenes.
In the 18th century, a German writer and philosopher named Johann Gottlieb Senn (1730-1800) made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics and the philosophy of art.
Another prominent figure with the surname SENN was Nikolaus Senn (1828-1908), a Swiss-American surgeon and medical pioneer. He is credited with introducing antiseptic surgical techniques and promoting the use of modern surgical methods in the United States.
The SENN surname also has a presence in France, where it is often spelled as "Senne" or "Senne." One notable French bearer of this name was Jacques Senne (1592-1657), a Jesuit philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics.
Throughout history, the SENN surname has been associated with various occupations, including cowherds, dairymen, farmers, and later on, professionals in various fields such as art, literature, and medicine. While its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking regions, the name has since spread to various parts of Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senn
Among Census respondents with the surname Senn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Senn 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 Senn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 4,651
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 147
- Two or more races2.9% · 147
- Black or African American1.9% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senn
Senn 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
#6,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,448
+158 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#6,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,080
-368 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 161 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,994 | 5,290 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,273 | 5,448 | 1.85 | +158 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #6,434 | 5,080 | 1.70 | -368 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 161 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 Senn 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 | #6,273 | #6,434 | -2.6% |
| Count | 5,448 | 5,080 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.70 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senn bearers went from 5,448 to 5,080 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 161 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,273 to #6,434.
FAQ
Senn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senn?
Name Census estimates that about 5,825 living Americans carry the surname Senn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,842 residents.
How common is Senn?
Senn ranks #6,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,080 people with the surname Senn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,825), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Senn.
Has Senn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senn went from 5,448 recorded bearers to 5,080. That is a decrease of 368 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,273 to #6,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Senn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Senn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (4,651 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (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 Senn (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 Senn mean?
A Swiss German habitational surname referring to someone living near a pasture or dairy farm in the mountains. 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 Senn (1.70 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 Senn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.