2000
#4,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,058
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.99
Rare Last name
Sides
An English occupational surname for someone who lived beside a prominent natural or man-made feature, such as a wood or road.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,784 Americans carry the last name Sides. That puts it at #4,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,020 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sides 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 Sides with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 39,020
Census rank
#4,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,660 bearers of the surname Sides in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sides, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sides
The surname "SIDES" is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "side," which referred to a slope or the side of a hill. The name was likely initially given as a topographic name to someone who lived near or on the side of a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sydde." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as "Syde," "Sydes," and "Siddes." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling during that era.
The surname "SIDES" is also associated with several place names in England, such as Sideford in Devonshire and Sidbury in Shropshire. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname in their respective regions.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir Henry Sides (1490-1556), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another was William Sides (1570-1635), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and religion.
In the 17th century, the surname "SIDES" appears in various records, including those of John Sides (1620-1695), a successful merchant and landowner in London, and Richard Sides (1645-1712), a prominent lawyer and judge in Lincolnshire.
Moving into the 18th century, we find John Sides (1718-1788), a renowned English artist and engraver who was appointed Engraver to the King in 1765. His works included portraits of notable figures such as Samuel Johnson and Joshua Reynolds.
Another significant bearer of the name was Sir William Sides (1760-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his distinguished service in 1815.
Throughout the centuries, the surname "SIDES" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, clergymen, artists, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sides
Among Census respondents with the surname Sides, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sides 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 Sides surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 6,726
- Two or more races4.0% · 305
- Black or African American3.8% · 288
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 241
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sides
Sides 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
#4,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,194
+136 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.78
Rank movement Down 280 places
2020
#4,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,660
-534 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 166 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,054 | 8,058 | 2.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,334 | 8,194 | 2.78 | +136 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 280 places |
| 2020 | #4,500 | 7,660 | 2.56 | -534 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 166 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 Sides 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 | #4,334 | #4,500 | -3.8% |
| Count | 8,194 | 7,660 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.78 | 2.56 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sides bearers went from 8,194 to 7,660 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 166 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,334 to #4,500.
FAQ
Sides surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sides?
Name Census estimates that about 8,784 living Americans carry the surname Sides. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,020 residents.
How common is Sides?
Sides ranks #4,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,660 people with the surname Sides. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,784), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sides.
Has Sides become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sides went from 8,194 recorded bearers to 7,660. That is a decrease of 534 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,334 to #4,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Sides?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sides, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.8%). 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 Sides in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (6,726 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sides appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Black (3.8%). 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 Sides (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 Sides mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who lived beside a prominent natural or man-made feature, such as a wood or road. 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 Sides (2.56 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 Sides?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.