2000
#13,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Sine
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a tributary stream, spring, or watercourse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,220 Americans carry the last name Sine. That puts it at #14,724 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,394 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sine 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.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,394
Census rank
#14,724
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,936 bearers of the surname Sine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14724th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sine, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sine
The surname Sine originated in the region of Sine, located in modern-day Senegal, West Africa. It first appeared in written records during the 13th century, when the Sine region rose to prominence as an influential kingdom in the area.
The name Sine is derived from the Wolof language, spoken by the Wolof people who inhabited the Sine region. The word "Sine" is believed to have meant "entrance" or "gateway" in Wolof, reflecting the strategic location of the kingdom as a major trade hub.
In the 14th century, the Sine kingdom was mentioned in the writings of renowned Arab scholars and travelers, such as Ibn Battuta, who documented his visits to the region. These early accounts provide valuable insights into the significance of the Sine kingdom and its rulers at the time.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Sine surname was Malik Joor Sine, a influential ruler of the Sine kingdom who reigned in the late 14th century. He was renowned for his military prowess and successful expansion of the kingdom's territories.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sine kingdom became embroiled in conflicts with European powers, such as the Portuguese and the Dutch, who sought to establish trading posts along the West African coast. Several Sine rulers, including Amary Sine (c. 1600) and Boukar Sine (c. 1650), played pivotal roles in these historical events.
As the Sine kingdom declined in the 18th century, many members of the ruling class and their descendants migrated to other regions, carrying their surname with them. One notable figure was Mustafa Sine (1735-1803), a scholar and diplomat who served as an ambassador for the Alawite dynasty in Morocco.
In the 19th century, the Sine surname began to appear in various parts of the African diaspora, as individuals with ties to the Sine region migrated or were forcibly displaced during the transatlantic slave trade. For example, Abdoulaye Sine (1835-1892) was a prominent abolitionist and activist in Brazil.
Throughout history, the Sine surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including rulers, scholars, diplomats, and activists. While the Sine kingdom may have faded into obscurity, the surname continues to serve as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Sine region in West Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sine
Among Census respondents with the surname Sine, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sine 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 Sine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 1,645
- Black or African American4.8% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 70
- Two or more races3.3% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sine
Sine 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
#13,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,284
+123 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 344 places
2020
#14,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,936
-348 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,375 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,005 | 2,161 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,349 | 2,284 | 0.77 | +123 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 344 places |
| 2020 | #14,724 | 1,936 | 0.65 | -348 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 1,375 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 Sine 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 | #13,349 | #14,724 | -10.3% |
| Count | 2,284 | 1,936 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.65 | -15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sine bearers went from 2,284 to 1,936 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 1,375 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,349 to #14,724.
FAQ
Sine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sine?
Name Census estimates that about 2,220 living Americans carry the surname Sine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,394 residents.
How common is Sine?
Sine ranks #14,724 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,936 people with the surname Sine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,220), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sine.
Has Sine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sine went from 2,284 recorded bearers to 1,936. That is a decrease of 348 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,349 to #14,724.
What does the Census say about the background of Sine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sine, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Sine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (1,645 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Black (4.8%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Sine (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 Sine mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a tributary stream, spring, or watercourse. 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 Sine (0.65 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 have the last name Sine?
Want to know how many people have the last name Sine? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.