2000
#9,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,046
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Sistrunk
An English surname of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a lost place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,609 Americans carry the last name Sistrunk. That puts it at #9,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sistrunk 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
3.6K
1 in 94,972
Census rank
#9,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,147 bearers of the surname Sistrunk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sistrunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (41.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sistrunk
The surname Sistrunk has its origins in Germany, dating back to the early 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Sessenrunck," which means "situated on a ridge." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived in areas with elevated terrain or ridges.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, where a certain Hans Sessenrunck is mentioned in a document dated 1432. This spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands. Historical records from the city of Amsterdam mention a merchant named Pieter Sistrunk, who was born in 1567 and played a significant role in the Dutch East India Company's trade with Asia.
During the 17th century, the Sistrunk name gained prominence in England, possibly due to migration or intermarriage with German or Dutch families. One notable figure from this period was William Sistrunk, a renowned playwright and poet who lived from 1623 to 1687. His works, though not widely known today, were celebrated during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the name crossed the Atlantic and took root in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Sistrunk, who served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals bearing the Sistrunk name. Among them was Samuel Sistrunk (1818-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Charleston, South Carolina, who made significant contributions to the development of the city's infrastructure and education system.
Another notable figure was Mary Sistrunk (1842-1921), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for African American children in Mississippi and dedicated her life to promoting equal educational opportunities.
Moving into the 20th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like Edward Sistrunk (1901-1976), a renowned civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several major bridges and highways across the United States.
The Sistrunk surname has a rich history spanning multiple continents and centuries, with its origins rooted in the German language and a connection to geographical features. While the name has undergone various spelling variations over time, its presence can be traced through historical records, notable individuals, and their contributions to various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sistrunk
Among Census respondents with the surname Sistrunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (41.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sistrunk 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 Sistrunk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.3% · 1,613
- Black or African American41.4% · 1,304
- Two or more races4.5% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sistrunk
Sistrunk 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
#10,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,188
+142 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 302 places
2020
#9,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,147
-41 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,801 | 3,046 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,103 | 3,188 | 1.08 | +142 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 302 places |
| 2020 | #9,820 | 3,147 | 1.05 | -41 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 283 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 Sistrunk 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 | #10,103 | #9,820 | 2.8% |
| Count | 3,188 | 3,147 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.05 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sistrunk bearers went from 3,188 to 3,147 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,103 to #9,820.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sistrunk
FAQ
Sistrunk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sistrunk?
Name Census estimates that about 3,609 living Americans carry the surname Sistrunk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,972 residents.
How common is Sistrunk?
Sistrunk ranks #9,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,147 people with the surname Sistrunk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,609), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sistrunk.
Has Sistrunk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sistrunk went from 3,188 recorded bearers to 3,147. That is a decrease of 41 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,103 to #9,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Sistrunk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sistrunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (41.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Sistrunk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (1,613 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sistrunk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.3%), Black (41.4%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Sistrunk (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 Sistrunk mean?
An English surname of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a lost place name. 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 Sistrunk (1.05 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 common is the surname Sistrunk?
Want to know how many people are called Sistrunk? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.