2000
#8,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Sullins
An Irish occupational surname derived from Ó Súilleabháin, meaning "descendant of Súilleabhán" (a byname meaning "one-eyed" or "hawk-eyed").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,937 Americans carry the last name Sullins. That puts it at #9,136 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,060 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sullins 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
3.9K
1 in 87,060
Census rank
#9,136
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,433 bearers of the surname Sullins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9136th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sullins, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sullins
The surname Sullins is believed to have originated in England, with records indicating its presence in various regions of the country as early as the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "sul" or "sol," meaning "muddy or dirty," and "hlinc," meaning "ridge or bank." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a muddy or dirty ridge or bank.
One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to 1273, where a Roger de Sollinges is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire. The Hundredorum Rolls, also known as the Hundred Rolls, were a series of administrative records compiled in England between 1273 and 1275, providing valuable insights into the names and locations of individuals during that time period.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared with various spellings, such as Sullinges, Sullynges, and Solyns, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and their adaptations to local dialects and scribal interpretations. One notable example from this era is John Solynge, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and their owners compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname Sullins. However, it is possible that the name may have originated from a place name or location mentioned in the Domesday Book, though there is no definitive evidence to support this.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Sullins continued to appear in various records and documents across England. In the 16th century, a John Sullins was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk, dated 1524. Additionally, the Parish Registers of Gloucestershire mention a Thomas Sullins in 1578.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Sullins. One such figure was William Sullins (1671-1738), a prominent merchant and landowner in the county of Oxfordshire. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Sullins (1789-1865), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
Other individuals with the surname Sullins include:
1. Elizabeth Sullins (1812-1889), an English writer and poet.
2. John Sullins (1825-1901), an American politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
3. Henry Sullins (1860-1932), a British architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.
4. Margaret Sullins (1901-1987), an American educator and advocate for women's rights.
5. Richard Sullins (1920-2005), a British artist and sculptor renowned for his abstract works.
While the surname Sullins may have evolved and been adapted over time, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it likely referred to a person living near a muddy or dirty ridge or bank. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, contributing to the rich tapestry of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sullins
Among Census respondents with the surname Sullins, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sullins 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 Sullins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 2,880
- Black or African American6.4% · 221
- Two or more races5.0% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sullins
Sullins 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
#8,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,741
+165 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 281 places
2020
#9,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,433
-308 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,484 | 3,576 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,765 | 3,741 | 1.27 | +165 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 281 places |
| 2020 | #9,136 | 3,433 | 1.15 | -308 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 371 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 Sullins 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 | #8,765 | #9,136 | -4.2% |
| Count | 3,741 | 3,433 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.15 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sullins bearers went from 3,741 to 3,433 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 371 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,765 to #9,136.
FAQ
Sullins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sullins?
Name Census estimates that about 3,937 living Americans carry the surname Sullins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,060 residents.
How common is Sullins?
Sullins ranks #9,136 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 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 3,433 people with the surname Sullins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,937), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 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 Sullins.
Has Sullins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sullins went from 3,741 recorded bearers to 3,433. That is a decrease of 308 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,765 to #9,136.
What does the Census say about the background of Sullins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sullins, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Sullins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (2,880 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sullins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (6.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Sullins (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 Sullins mean?
An Irish occupational surname derived from Ó Súilleabháin, meaning "descendant of Súilleabhán" (a byname meaning "one-eyed" or "hawk-eyed"). 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 Sullins (1.15 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 Sullins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.