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

Sinclair, 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 Sinclair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sinclair in America

Sinclair is the 1290th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sinclair surname appeared 27,243 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Sinclair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sinclair 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 Sinclair

The surname Sinclair has its origins in France, deriving from the Latin place name "Sanctus Clarus" meaning "holy bright place." It is believed to have been brought to England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

The name first emerged in northern England and southern Scotland, particularly in the Northumberland and Lothian regions. It is thought to be associated with the village of Sinclair in Berwickshire, located near the Scottish-English border.

One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Sancto Claro," indicating its Norman-French origins.

The Sinclair family rose to prominence in Scotland during the 12th century, with William de Sancto Claro (born circa 1120) being granted lands in Roslin, Midlothian. His descendants adopted the name Sinclair and became influential barons in the region.

Notable individuals with the Sinclair surname include Sir Henry Sinclair (1345-1400), a Scottish nobleman and explorer who may have travelled to North America before Christopher Columbus. Another is George Sinclair (1630-1696), a Scottish mathematician and professor at the University of Glasgow.

Arthur Sinclair (1794-1862) was a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars, while Sir Archibald Sinclair (1890-1970) was a British politician and Secretary of State for Air during World War II.

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968), an American author and political activist, is perhaps the most famous bearer of the name. He won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel "Dragon's Teeth" in 1942 and is best known for his muckraking novel "The Jungle," which exposed the horrific conditions in the meatpacking industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sinclair

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

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

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

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