2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sepesi
A surname of Albanian origin meaning "from Spezza", a region in Northern Epirus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Sepesi. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sepesi 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Sepesi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sepesi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sepesi
The surname SEPESI has its origins in Hungary, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "sepes," which means "hedged" or "fenced." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with hedges or fences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SEPESI surname can be found in the archives of the town of Sárospatak, located in northeastern Hungary. In a document dated 1472, a certain János Sepesi is mentioned as a landowner in the area. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late medieval period.
Another notable historical reference to the SEPESI name can be found in the records of the University of Cracow (now Jagiellonian University) in Poland. In the late 16th century, a student named Gáspár Sepesi was enrolled at the university, indicating that the name had spread beyond the borders of Hungary by that time.
During the 17th century, a notable figure named István Sepesi (1633-1689) gained prominence as a Protestant minister and writer. He authored several religious works and played a significant role in the intellectual and spiritual life of the region.
In the 19th century, a Hungarian nobleman named Zsigmond Sepesi (1819-1892) was recognized for his contributions to the field of agriculture. He is credited with introducing modern farming techniques and improving crop yields in his region.
Another individual of note was János Sepesi (1875-1943), a Hungarian artist and painter. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works are still displayed in various galleries and museums throughout Hungary.
While the SEPESI surname is primarily associated with Hungary, it has also been documented in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, likely due to migration patterns and historical events. However, its roots can be traced back to the Hungarian lands, where it has been present for several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sepesi
Among Census respondents with the surname Sepesi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sepesi 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 Sepesi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sepesi
Sepesi 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+22 bearers (+20.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,178 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-14 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+20.4%) | Up 11,178 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 14,418 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 Sepesi 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 | #130,610 | #145,028 | -11.0% |
| Count | 130 | 116 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sepesi bearers went from 130 to 116 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 14,418 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,028.
FAQ
Sepesi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sepesi?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Sepesi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Sepesi?
Sepesi ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Sepesi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Sepesi.
Has Sepesi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sepesi went from 130 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Sepesi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sepesi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (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 Sepesi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sepesi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (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 Sepesi (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 Sepesi mean?
A surname of Albanian origin meaning "from Spezza", a region in Northern Epirus. 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 Sepesi (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 have the last name Sepesi?
Find out how common the surname Sepesi is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.