2000
#2,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,355
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.21
Uncommon Last name
Sisson
A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "son of Siss" or "son of Sisse" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,911 Americans carry the last name Sisson. That puts it at #3,372 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,776 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sisson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sisson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,776
Census rank
#3,372
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,387 bearers of the surname Sisson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3372nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sisson
The surname SISSON is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English words "sisce" or "sicce", meaning a small stream or rivulet. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a small stream or watercourse.
The earliest known record of the surname SISSON dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Siscun" and "Sissun" in various counties across England. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Sisson", "Sysson", "Sissun", and "Sysun", reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common at the time. In some instances, the name may have also been derived from the Old Norse word "siða", meaning a small stream or brook.
One notable historical figure with the surname SISSON was Sir John Sisson (c. 1525-1596), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual was George Sisson (1608-1668), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Arches, the highest ecclesiastical court in England.
In the 18th century, William Sisson (1735-1815) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
During the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Charles Sisson (1738-1822) served as a military officer in the Continental Army and played a significant role in several battles against the British forces.
In the 19th century, Frederick William Sisson (1832-1905) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1899 to 1905.
While the surname SISSON has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to migration and emigration over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sisson
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sisson 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 Sisson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 9,077
- Two or more races4.3% · 449
- Black or African American4.1% · 431
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 275
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sisson
Sisson 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
#3,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,380
+25 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 268 places
2020
#3,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,387
-993 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 3.48
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,909 | 11,355 | 4.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,177 | 11,380 | 3.86 | +25 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 268 places |
| 2020 | #3,372 | 10,387 | 3.48 | -993 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 195 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 Sisson 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 | #3,177 | #3,372 | -6.1% |
| Count | 11,380 | 10,387 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.86 | 3.48 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sisson bearers went from 11,380 to 10,387 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,177 to #3,372.
FAQ
Sisson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sisson?
Name Census estimates that about 11,911 living Americans carry the surname Sisson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,776 residents.
How common is Sisson?
Sisson ranks #3,372 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,387 people with the surname Sisson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,911), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sisson.
Has Sisson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sisson went from 11,380 recorded bearers to 10,387. That is a decrease of 993 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,177 to #3,372.
What does the Census say about the background of Sisson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (4.1%). 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 Sisson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (9,077 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sisson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Black (4.1%). 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 Sisson (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 Sisson mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "son of Siss" or "son of Sisse" in Old English. 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 Sisson (3.48 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 are called Sisson?
Want to know how many people have the last name Sisson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.