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

Sime, 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 Sime surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sime in America

Sime is the 20172nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sime surname appeared 1,322 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sime.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sime 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 Sime

The surname SIME originated in Scotland in the late 15th century. It is derived from the old Gaelic word "sim" or "simidh", meaning crooked or awry. This likely referred to someone who had a physical deformity or crooked posture.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Records of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1488, which mentions a John Syme. The name also appears in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1508, referring to a landholder named William Syme.

The SIME surname was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, especially around the counties of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. Some early variations of the spelling included Syme, Sym, and Symes. There are also records of the name being derived from place names like Symington in Ayrshire and Symondston in Lanarkshire.

Notable historical figures with the SIME surname include Andrew Syme (1763-1841), a Scottish surgeon and professor of midwifery at the University of Edinburgh. James Syme (1799-1870) was another prominent Scottish surgeon who pioneered new surgical techniques and served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

In the literary world, David Syme (1827-1908) was a Scottish-born Australian journalist and newspaper proprietor who founded The Age newspaper in Melbourne. Robert Syme (1795-1870) was a Scottish botanical illustrator and artist known for his intricate drawings of plants and flowers.

Moving across the Atlantic, Robert Syme (1830-1908) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1900 to 1905. James Syme (1832-1913) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sime

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

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 Sime 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 Sime 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 Sime was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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