2000
#11,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,392
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Sing
A Chinese occupational surname referring to a worker who makes armor or military equipment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,217 Americans carry the last name Sing. That puts it at #10,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,545 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sing 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 Sing with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,545
Census rank
#10,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,805 bearers of the surname Sing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.2%. The next largest groups are White (32.2%) and Hispanic (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sing
The surname SING has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sing," which means "to sing" or "to chant." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to individuals who were singers, perhaps in religious or ceremonial contexts.
One of the earliest known records of the SING surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Sygehird Sing. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the SING surname appeared in various county records across England, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John Sing was listed. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions by that time.
The SING surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, John Sing (1495-1538) was an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Henry VIII for his refusal to accept the king's supremacy over the Church of England.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Sing (1638-1719), an English mathematician and surveyor who made significant contributions to the field of navigation. He published works on logarithms and trigonometry, which were widely used by navigators and astronomers of his time.
In the 18th century, the SING surname was also found in Scotland, as evidenced by the birth of James Sing (1762-1827) in Fife. Sing was a renowned painter and engraver who specialized in portraiture and landscape paintings.
Moving into the 19th century, the SING surname continued to be represented by notable individuals. John Sing (1809-1876) was an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Gresham Life Assurance Society's headquarters.
One of the most prominent figures with the SING surname was Samuel Sing (1838-1916), an English painter and etcher. He was a member of the Royal Academy and is best known for his etchings depicting rural landscapes and architectural scenes.
While the SING surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references can be traced back to the British Isles, where the name evolved from its Old English origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sing
Among Census respondents with the surname Sing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.2%. The next largest groups are White (32.2%) and Hispanic (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sing 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 Sing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander47.2% · 1,324
- White32.2% · 903
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 238
- Two or more races6.7% · 187
- Black or African American4.8% · 134
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sing
Sing 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
#11,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,613
+221 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 21 places
2020
#10,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,805
+192 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 1,114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,981 | 2,392 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,960 | 2,613 | 0.89 | +221 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 21 places |
| 2020 | #10,846 | 2,805 | 0.94 | +192 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 1,114 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 Sing 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 | #11,960 | #10,846 | 9.3% |
| Count | 2,613 | 2,805 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.94 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sing bearers went from 2,613 to 2,805 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 1,114 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,960 to #10,846.
FAQ
Sing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sing?
Name Census estimates that about 3,217 living Americans carry the surname Sing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,545 residents.
How common is Sing?
Sing ranks #10,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,805 people with the surname Sing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Sing.
Has Sing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sing went from 2,613 recorded bearers to 2,805. That is an increase of 192 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,960 to #10,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Sing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.2%. The next largest groups are White (32.2%) and Hispanic (8.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.2% (1,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (47.2%), White (32.2%), Hispanic (8.5%). 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 Sing (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 Sing mean?
A Chinese occupational surname referring to a worker who makes armor or military equipment. 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 Sing (0.94 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 common is the surname Sing?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Sing on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.