Find out how popular the last name Sikes is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sikes.

Sikes, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sikes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sikes in America

Sikes is the 3475th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sikes surname appeared 10,280 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Sikes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sikes to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sikes

The surname Sikes has its origins in England, with the name first emerging in the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "sic" meaning "trench" or "gully" and "hyll" meaning "hill." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a settlement near a trench or gully on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sikes can be found in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1219, where a person named Robert de Sikes was mentioned. The name also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1230, with a reference to a William de Sikes.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname appeared in various records with spellings such as Syke, Sike, and Sykes, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and the influence of local dialects and scribes' interpretations.

In the 16th century, the surname Sikes was found in the Parish Registers of Derbyshire, where a Thomas Sikes was recorded in 1533. Another notable bearer of the name was Richard Sikes, who was born in 1590 and served as the Vicar of Pontefract in Yorkshire.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Sikes was William Sikes, a fictional character in Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist," published in 1838. Although a literary creation, the character's name reflects the historical prevalence of the surname in Yorkshire and surrounding areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Sikes include:

1. Thomas Sikes (1766-1834), an English clergyman and author who wrote on botany and natural history.
2. Alfred Sikes (1847-1928), an English cricketer who played for Essex County Cricket Club.
3. Edward Sikes (1842-1923), an American politician who served as the 28th Governor of South Dakota from 1909 to 1913.
4. Wirt Sikes (1836-1912), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Attorney General from 1906 to 1909.
5. Walter Sikes (1858-1927), an English painter known for his landscapes and portraiture.

The surname Sikes has a long and rich history, with its origins rooted in the place names and settlements of medieval England. While the name has evolved over centuries, it continues to be associated with its English heritage and the areas where it first emerged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sikes

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sikes.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sikes was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sikes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sikes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sikes, please contact us.

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