2000
#747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,080
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.60
Uncommon Last name
Sexton
An English occupational surname referring to a person who looks after a church and its graveyard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 46,736 Americans carry the last name Sexton. That puts it at #831 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,334 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sexton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sexton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
47K
1 in 7,334
Census rank
#831
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
41K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 40,756 bearers of the surname Sexton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 831st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sexton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sexton
The surname Sexton originated in medieval England, derived from the Old English word "sexton," which referred to an official or church officer responsible for the maintenance and care of the church building and its associated property, including the churchyard and bell-ringing. This name is an occupational surname, indicating the bearer's occupation or trade, a common practice during that time period.
The name Sexton can be traced back to the 13th century, with early recorded instances found in various historical documents and records. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Thomas le Sexteyn is listed in Oxfordshire. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any specific references to the surname Sexton, but it does mention several individuals with similar occupational titles, such as "sacerdos" (priest) or "clericus" (clerk).
In the 14th century, the surname Sexton appeared in various forms, including Sextain, Sextayn, and Sextone, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that era. The name was particularly prevalent in areas with a strong ecclesiastical presence, such as the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Sexton was John Sexton, who lived in the late 13th century and was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Another notable figure was Sir William Sexton, a wealthy landowner and knight who lived in Somersetshire during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Sexton gained further prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. Among them was Richard Sexton (c. 1529-1592), an English composer and organist who served as the Master of the Children at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and later as the organist of Bristol Cathedral.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Sexton (c. 1545-1619), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as the Solicitor-General for Ireland and authored several legal treatises. He was knighted by King James I in 1603.
In the 17th century, the surname Sexton continued to be widespread, particularly in the southern and western counties of England. One notable individual from this period was George Sexton (1604-1677), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Warden of Christ Church, Oxford, and was a renowned preacher and theologian.
The surname Sexton has also been associated with several place names, such as Sexton's Green in Warwickshire and Sexton's Farm in Wiltshire, further reinforcing its historical roots and geographical distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sexton
Among Census respondents with the surname Sexton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sexton 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 Sexton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 35,887
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,745
- Black or African American3.5% · 1,411
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 1,180
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 291
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 242
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sexton
Sexton 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
#804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,133
+1,053 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 14.62
Rank movement Down 57 places
2020
#831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,756
-2,377 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 13.64
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #747 | 42,080 | 15.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #804 | 43,133 | 14.62 | +1,053 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 57 places |
| 2020 | #831 | 40,756 | 13.64 | -2,377 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 27 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 Sexton 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 | #804 | #831 | -3.4% |
| Count | 43,133 | 40,756 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 14.62 | 13.64 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sexton bearers went from 43,133 to 40,756 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #804 to #831.
FAQ
Sexton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sexton?
Name Census estimates that about 46,736 living Americans carry the surname Sexton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,334 residents.
How common is Sexton?
Sexton ranks #831 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 40,756 people with the surname Sexton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (46,736), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Sexton.
Has Sexton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sexton went from 43,133 recorded bearers to 40,756. That is a decrease of 2,377 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #804 to #831.
What does the Census say about the background of Sexton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sexton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sexton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (35,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sexton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Black (3.5%). 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 Sexton (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 Sexton mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who looks after a church and its graveyard. 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 Sexton (13.64 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 Sexton?
You can see how many people have the last name Sexton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.