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

Sinker, 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 Sinker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sinker in America

Sinker is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sinker surname appeared 101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sinker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sinker 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 Sinker

The surname Sinker is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the late 13th or early 14th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "sincan," which means "to sink" or "to submerge." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone whose occupation involved sinking or submerging objects, possibly a person responsible for weighing down fishing nets or anchoring ships.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated 1273, which mentions a person named William le Sinkere. The addition of the prefix "le" was a common practice in medieval times, indicating the person's occupation or place of origin.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Synker, Sinkere, and Sinkour, reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a person named John le Sinkere.

The Sinker surname is also associated with several place names, particularly in areas with a connection to fishing or maritime activities. For example, the village of Sinker Nook in Lancashire, England, may have derived its name from the occupational surname, indicating a settlement where Sinkers resided.

Among notable historical figures bearing the Sinker surname, one can mention:

1. William Sinker (c. 1450 - 1515), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers in London.

2. John Sinker (1564 - 1632), a renowned English cartographer and navigator who served under Sir Walter Raleigh and produced several influential maritime charts.

3. Elizabeth Sinker (c. 1620 - 1691), a prominent Puritan writer and diarist from Lincolnshire, whose works provided insights into the religious and social life of 17th-century England.

4. Thomas Sinker (1684 - 1755), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Winterbourne Stoke in Wiltshire and authored several theological works.

5. Samuel Sinker (1789 - 1861), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement.

While the Sinker surname may have originated from an occupational background, it has since evolved into a distinctive English family name with a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sinker

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

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

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

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