2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sipsy
A surname potentially derived from a Ukrainian or Polish surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Sipsy. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sipsy 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Sipsy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sipsy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sipsy
The surname "SIPSY" is believed to have originated in the region of East Prussia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and Russia. Its roots can be traced back to the late 15th century, when it was likely derived from the Old Prussian word "sipsis," meaning "to whisper" or "to speak softly."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 16th-century manuscript detailing the lineage of a noble family from the town of Königsberg, which was then part of the Duchy of Prussia. The document mentions a certain Friedrich Sipsy, who was born in 1537 and served as a councilman in the city's governing body.
During the 17th century, the name appears to have spread throughout the Baltic region, with several families bearing the surname Sipsy residing in the port city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) and the surrounding areas. One notable figure from this time was Hans Sipsy, a merchant and ship owner who lived from 1612 to 1687.
As the centuries progressed, the Sipsy name continued to be associated with various professions, including artisans, scholars, and clergymen. In the late 18th century, a renowned theologian named Johann Sipsy (1745-1819) gained recognition for his writings on Protestant doctrine and his work as a professor at the University of Königsberg.
Another influential figure bearing the Sipsy surname was Elise Sipsy (1820-1898), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in the Kingdom of Prussia. She founded several schools for girls and was instrumental in promoting equal educational opportunities for women during her lifetime.
By the 19th century, the Sipsy name had also found its way to other parts of Europe, with families settling in countries such as Germany, Austria, and even as far as France and Italy. One notable example is the French painter Émile Sipsy (1867-1942), whose works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries across Europe.
Throughout its long history, the surname "SIPSY" has maintained its connection to its East Prussian origins, while also adapting to various cultural and linguistic influences as it spread across different regions. Despite its relative rarity, the name has persisted through the centuries, leaving a lasting mark on the annals of history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sipsy
Among Census respondents with the surname Sipsy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sipsy 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 Sipsy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sipsy
Sipsy appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 3,223 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 Sipsy 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 | #151,532 | #154,755 | -2.1% |
| Count | 108 | 102 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sipsy bearers went from 108 to 102 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 3,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #154,755.
FAQ
Sipsy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sipsy?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Sipsy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Sipsy?
Sipsy ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Sipsy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sipsy.
Has Sipsy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sipsy went from 108 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Sipsy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sipsy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sipsy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sipsy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Sipsy (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 Sipsy mean?
A surname potentially derived from a Ukrainian or Polish surname. 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 Sipsy (0.03 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 Sipsy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.