2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sinnes
Of Germanic origin, referring to someone who committed sins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Sinnes. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sinnes 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Sinnes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinnes, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sinnes
The surname SINNES originates from Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "sinnen," which means "to ponder" or "to contemplate." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who was known for their thoughtful or contemplative nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SINNES can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the city of Hanover, dating back to the late 1500s. These records often served as the primary source for documenting births, marriages, and deaths in local communities during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name SINNES appeared in several historical documents from the region of Lower Saxony, particularly in the towns of Celle and Lüneburg. The name was sometimes spelled as "Sinns" or "Sinnse," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common in those days.
A notable individual with the surname SINNES was Johann Sinnes, born in 1625 in the town of Verden, Lower Saxony. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his name can be found in several business records and property deeds from the mid-17th century.
Another historical figure was Anna Sinnes, born in 1688 in the town of Uelzen, Lower Saxony. She was a respected midwife and herbalist, and her name is mentioned in various local records documenting her contributions to the community.
In the 18th century, the SINNES surname spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as the Netherlands and Denmark. One example is Hans Sinnes, born in 1742 in the city of Hamburg, who was a skilled carpenter and craftsman.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the surname SINNES made their mark in various fields. For instance, Karl Sinnes, born in 1812 in Bremen, was a renowned educator and author who wrote several books on teaching methods and educational philosophy.
Another notable figure was Mathilde Sinnes, born in 1856 in the town of Lübeck. She was a pioneering female entrepreneur who established a successful textile business, which was quite remarkable for a woman of her time.
While the surname SINNES is not among the most common in Germany today, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sinnes
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinnes, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sinnes 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 Sinnes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 111
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sinnes
Sinnes 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+12 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,071 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,783 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 2,071 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 11,783 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 Sinnes 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 | #134,712 | #146,495 | -8.7% |
| Count | 125 | 114 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sinnes bearers went from 125 to 114 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 11,783 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #146,495.
FAQ
Sinnes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sinnes?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Sinnes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Sinnes?
Sinnes ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Sinnes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sinnes.
Has Sinnes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sinnes went from 125 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Sinnes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinnes, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sinnes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sinnes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sinnes (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 Sinnes mean?
Of Germanic origin, referring to someone who committed sins. 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 Sinnes (0.04 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 people have the surname Sinnes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.