Find out how popular the last name Sydney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sydney.

Sydney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sydney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sydney in America

Sydney is the 31001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sydney surname appeared 749 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sydney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sydney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sydney

The surname Sydney has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "sūth" and "ēa," meaning "south river" or "southern river," which likely referred to the River Thames in London.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sydney can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1194, where it appears as "Sudneia." This spelling variation suggests that the name was initially pronounced as "Sudney" before evolving into its modern form.

In the 13th century, the surname Sydney was associated with the manor of Sydenhobyre (now known as Sydnope) in Berkshire. This manor was held by William de Sydney in 1242, indicating that the name had already gained prominence in the region.

The surname Sydney also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. It is recorded as "Sudeneie," referring to a location in Gloucestershire.

Notable figures throughout history who bore the surname Sydney include:

1. Sir Philip Sydney (1554-1586), an English poet, courtier, and soldier, known for his influential works such as "Astrophel and Stella" and "The Defence of Poesy."

2. Algernon Sydney (1623-1683), an English politician and a leading theorist of republican thought during the English Interregnum and Restoration periods.

3. Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (1733-1800), a British politician who served as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for the Colonies.

4. William Sydney Smith (1764-1840), a British naval officer and diplomat who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars.

5. Sydney Smirke (1798-1877), an English architect known for his designs of the Reading Room and other sections of the British Museum.

Over time, the surname Sydney has been associated with various place names, such as Sydney in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the city of Sydney in Australia, which was named after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, who served as the Secretary of State for the Colonies in the late 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sydney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sydney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sydney was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sydney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sydney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sydney, please contact us.

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