2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sernett
A surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Sirenhide," meaning a region inhabited by deer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Sernett. 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 Sernett 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
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 Sernett 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 Sernett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sernett
The surname Sernett is believed to have originated in the Norman regions of France during the medieval period. The earliest records of this name date back to the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "serne," meaning a small watercourse or stream, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
One of the earliest known records of the Sernett name can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Sernet," which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern Sernett.
During the Middle Ages, the Sernett family held lands and estates in various parts of Normandy, including the village of Sernet near Rouen. It is possible that some members of the family accompanied William the Conqueror to England and were granted lands there as well.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Sir Robert Sernett was a knight and landowner in the county of Dorset, England. He is mentioned in several historical documents from that time, including the Pipe Rolls of 1220.
Another early recorded bearer of the Sernett name was John Sernett, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Bristol, England, in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the Bristol customs records of 1387.
In the 15th century, a man named William Sernett was a prominent landowner and official in the county of Suffolk, England. He served as a Justice of the Peace and is mentioned in the Suffolk County Records of 1467.
During the 16th century, the Sernett family had established branches in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Shropshire. One notable figure from this period was Sir Thomas Sernett, a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ludlow in 1558.
In the 17th century, a man named Edward Sernett was a successful merchant and shipowner based in the port city of Plymouth, England. He is recorded in the Plymouth shipping records of 1642 as the owner of several trading vessels.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures and records associated with the Sernett surname over the centuries. While the name may not be as common today, it has a rich history and origins that can be traced back to medieval France and the Norman Conquest of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sernett
Among Census respondents with the surname Sernett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sernett 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 Sernett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sernett
Sernett 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,497 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,497 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 758 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 Sernett 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 | #147,253 | #146,495 | 0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 114 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sernett bearers went from 112 to 114 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #146,495.
FAQ
Sernett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sernett?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Sernett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Sernett?
Sernett 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 Sernett. 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 Sernett.
Has Sernett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sernett went from 112 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Sernett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sernett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Sernett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sernett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%), Black (2.6%). 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 Sernett (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 Sernett mean?
A surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Sirenhide," meaning a region inhabited by deer. 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 Sernett (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 are called Sernett?
You can see how many people have the surname Sernett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.