2000
#8,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Sines
Derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near a marsh or low-lying land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,738 Americans carry the last name Sines. That puts it at #9,536 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sines 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 Sines with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,695
Census rank
#9,536
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,260 bearers of the surname Sines in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9536th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sines, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sines
The surname SINES is believed to have originated in Portugal, where it was first recorded in the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word "sines," which means "signs" or "signals," potentially referring to a location or landmark used for navigation or signaling purposes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SINES surname can be found in a document from the year 1375, which mentions a person named Afonso Sines residing in the coastal town of Sines, located in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. This town, known for its strategic location and importance as a maritime center, likely influenced the origin of the surname.
In the 16th century, the name SINES appeared in several Portuguese maritime records, indicating that members of this family may have been involved in seafaring activities or resided in coastal areas. One notable individual was João Sines, a navigator and cartographer who participated in several expeditions to the East Indies in the late 1500s.
The SINES surname also found its way to Brazil, likely carried by Portuguese settlers during the colonial era. One of the earliest records of the name in Brazil dates back to the 17th century, when a man named Pedro Sines was listed as a landowner in the state of Bahia.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the SINES surname. These include:
1. Tomás Sines (1589-1647), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and buildings in Lisbon and other parts of Portugal.
2. Maria Sines (1725-1798), a Brazilian philanthropist and landowner who donated a significant portion of her wealth to support educational and charitable initiatives in her region.
3. Joaquim Sines (1810-1882), a Portuguese politician and journalist who played a prominent role in the liberal movements of the 19th century.
4. Henrique Sines (1877-1949), a Brazilian writer and poet known for his works exploring the cultural heritage and landscapes of the northeastern region of Brazil.
5. Luísa Sines (1912-1998), a Portuguese painter and sculptor whose works were featured in several national and international exhibitions during the 20th century.
While the SINES surname has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who migrated or established themselves in different regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sines
Among Census respondents with the surname Sines, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sines 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 Sines surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 3,003
- Two or more races3.6% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 78
- Black or African American0.8% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sines
Sines 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
#8,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,861
+520 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 472 places
2020
#9,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,260
-601 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 1,011 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,997 | 3,341 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,525 | 3,861 | 1.31 | +520 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 472 places |
| 2020 | #9,536 | 3,260 | 1.09 | -601 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 1,011 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 Sines 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 | #8,525 | #9,536 | -11.9% |
| Count | 3,861 | 3,260 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.09 | -16.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sines bearers went from 3,861 to 3,260 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 1,011 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,525 to #9,536.
FAQ
Sines surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sines?
Name Census estimates that about 3,738 living Americans carry the surname Sines. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,695 residents.
How common is Sines?
Sines ranks #9,536 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,260 people with the surname Sines. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,738), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Sines.
Has Sines become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sines went from 3,861 recorded bearers to 3,260. That is a decrease of 601 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,525 to #9,536.
What does the Census say about the background of Sines?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sines, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Sines in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (3,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sines appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Sines (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 Sines mean?
Derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near a marsh or low-lying land. 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 Sines (1.09 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 Sines?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.