2000
#19,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Sinks
A surname derived from a place name or locality containing sinks or holes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,439 Americans carry the last name Sinks. That puts it at #21,262 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 238,189 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sinks 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.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 238,189
Census rank
#21,262
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,255 bearers of the surname Sinks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21262nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 16th century, the name Sinks can be found in several historical documents, including the parish records of Cheshire.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sinks
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sinks 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 Sinks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 1,071
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 74
- Two or more races3.7% · 47
- Black or African American3.1% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sinks
Sinks 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
#21,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,214
-81 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Down 2,154 places
2020
#21,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,255
+41 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,355 | 1,295 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,509 | 1,214 | 0.41 | -81 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 2,154 places |
| 2020 | #21,262 | 1,255 | 0.42 | +41 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 247 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 Sinks 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 | #21,509 | #21,262 | 1.1% |
| Count | 1,214 | 1,255 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.42 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sinks bearers went from 1,214 to 1,255 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,509 to #21,262.
FAQ
Sinks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sinks?
Name Census estimates that about 1,439 living Americans carry the surname Sinks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 238,189 residents.
How common is Sinks?
Sinks ranks #21,262 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.42 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 1,255 people with the surname Sinks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,439), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.42 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 Sinks.
Has Sinks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sinks went from 1,214 recorded bearers to 1,255. That is an increase of 41 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,509 to #21,262.
What does the Census say about the background of Sinks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Sinks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (1,071 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sinks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Sinks (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 Sinks mean?
A surname derived from a place name or locality containing sinks or holes. 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 Sinks (0.42 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 Sinks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.