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

Sinks, 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 Sinks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sinks in America

Sinks is the 21509th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sinks surname appeared 1,214 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 Sinks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sinks 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 Sinks

The surname Sinks has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sincan," which means "to sink" or "to descend." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a low-lying area or near a body of water.

One of the earliest known references to the name Sinks can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a person named Willelmus Sinck is mentioned. This is likely an early spelling variation of the modern surname Sinks.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Synke, Sincke, and Sinkis, in records from different parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name was present across various regions of the country during this period.

One notable individual bearing the surname Sinks was John Sinks, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. He is recorded as having served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1455.

In the 16th century, the name Sinks can be found in several historical documents, including the parish records of Cheshire. One example is the baptismal record of Margaret Sinks, who was born in Nantwich in 1589.

During the 17th century, the surname Sinks was particularly prevalent in the county of Staffordshire. A notable figure from this period was Thomas Sinks, a landowner and member of the gentry who lived in the village of Swinfen between 1610 and 1678.

In the 18th century, the name Sinks appeared in various parts of England, including London, where a prominent clockmaker named William Sinks was active from 1740 to 1780. His clocks and watches were highly regarded and can be found in several museums and private collections.

Another significant figure with the surname Sinks was John Sinks, a noted poet and author who was born in Lincolnshire in 1744. He published several volumes of poetry and prose works during his lifetime, and his works were widely acclaimed by literary critics of the time.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Sinks continued to be present in various regions of England, with individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including agriculture, trade, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sinks

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

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

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

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