2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sinfield
A habitational name referring to someone from Singfield, Norfolk, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Sinfield. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sinfield 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 Sinfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Sinfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sinfield
The surname Sinfield is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Sinfield or Synfield, possibly located in the counties of Berkshire or Oxfordshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Synfeld". This suggests that the name was already established in this region during the 13th century.
The name Sinfield is thought to be derived from the Old English words "synn" or "syn", meaning "sin" or "transgression", and "feld", meaning "field" or "open land". This combination may have referred to a field or piece of land associated with some transgression or conflict in its early history.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Synfelde", "Sinfelde", and "Sinfild". This variation in spelling was common during this period, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
One notable person bearing the Sinfield surname was John Sinfield, a 17th-century English clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, from 1632 until his death in 1662.
Another figure of historical significance was Thomas Sinfield, a 19th-century English industrialist and entrepreneur. Born in 1810 in Wolverhampton, he played a significant role in the development of the city's iron and steel industry, establishing several successful foundries and engineering works.
In the realm of literature, the name Sinfield is associated with Thomas Sinfield, a 19th-century English poet and writer. Born in 1813 in Warwickshire, he published several volumes of poetry, including "Lays of the Heart" and "Poems on Various Subjects".
Moving into the 20th century, we find Robert Sinfield, a British writer and scholar born in 1939. He is best known for his work on literary theory and his contributions to the field of cultural studies.
Lastly, a more contemporary figure is James Sinfield, a British actor and theatre director born in 1966. He has been involved in numerous productions, both on stage and screen, and is particularly known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
While the surname Sinfield may have its origins in a specific geographic location, it has since spread across various regions of England and beyond, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sinfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sinfield 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 Sinfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sinfield
Sinfield 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,026 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,026 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,795 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 Sinfield 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 | #141,140 | #150,935 | -6.9% |
| Count | 118 | 108 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sinfield bearers went from 118 to 108 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,795 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,935.
FAQ
Sinfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sinfield?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Sinfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Sinfield?
Sinfield ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Sinfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sinfield.
Has Sinfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sinfield went from 118 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Sinfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Sinfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sinfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (4.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Sinfield (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 Sinfield mean?
A habitational name referring to someone from Singfield, Norfolk, England. 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 Sinfield (0.04 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 Sinfield?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.