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

Singer, 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 Singer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Singer in America

Singer is the 1366th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Singer surname appeared 25,828 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 Singer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Singer 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 Singer

The surname SINGER has its origins in medieval German-speaking Europe, particularly in the regions that now comprise modern-day Germany and Austria. The name is an occupational surname, derived from the Middle High German word "singære," which means "one who sings." This term itself stems from the Old High German "singan," meaning "to sing."

In the Middle Ages, occupational surnames were commonly adopted by artisans, tradespeople, and professionals to identify their line of work. The surname SINGER likely emerged to distinguish individuals who were employed as singers, minstrels, or entertainers in courts, churches, or public venues.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SINGER can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century, which mentions a certain "Singarius" in the Duchy of Saxony. Additionally, the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of Saxon charters and documents, includes references to individuals bearing the surname SINGER in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Notable historical figures who bore the surname SINGER include Johann SINGER (1490-1529), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther; Georg SINGER (1564-1626), a German composer and organist; and Ignaz SINGER (1654-1712), an Austrian Baroque painter and etcher.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname SINGER was particularly prevalent in regions such as Saxony, Bavaria, and Austria, where it appeared in various local records and documents. For instance, the Bavarian town of Ingolstadt had a notable SINGER family, with members such as Georg SINGER (1564-1617), a renowned lawyer and academic.

Other notable individuals with the surname SINGER include Isaac Merritt SINGER (1811-1875), the American inventor and entrepreneur who founded the Singer Sewing Machine Company; and Peter SINGER (born 1946), an Australian moral philosopher and professor known for his work in practical ethics and animal rights advocacy.

Throughout history, the surname SINGER has undergone various spelling variations, including Sänger, Saenger, and Zaenger, reflecting regional linguistic differences and scribal variations in record-keeping. However, the core meaning and occupational origin of the name have remained consistent across different regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Singer

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

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

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

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