2000
#10,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Sydnor
An English occupational surname for a dresser of cloth or tailor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,127 Americans carry the last name Sydnor. That puts it at #11,107 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,611 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sydnor 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
3.1K
1 in 109,611
Census rank
#11,107
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,727 bearers of the surname Sydnor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11107th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sydnor, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.3%. The next largest groups are White (35.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sydnor
The surname SYDNOR is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known roots dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sid" and "ofer," which collectively translate to "broad bank" or "broad shore." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a broad riverbank or coastal area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SYDNOR surname can be found in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in the town of Coventry, Warwickshire, where a certain John Sydnor was mentioned in the year 1592. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors may have hailed from a place called "Sydnor" or a similarly named location, though no definitive evidence of such a place has been found.
In the 17th century, the SYDNOR name appears to have spread across various regions of England, with records indicating families bearing this surname in counties such as Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Oxfordshire. During this period, variations in spelling, such as "Sidnor" and "Sydner," were also observed in historical documents.
One notable figure from this era was William Sydnor, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the village of Weston-sub-Edge, Gloucestershire, in the mid-1600s. He was a prominent member of the local community and served as a churchwarden at the parish church.
As the centuries progressed, the SYDNOR surname continued to evolve and spread across the British Isles and beyond. In the 18th century, a prominent SYDNOR family emerged in the county of Somerset, where they owned several estates and played a significant role in local affairs.
One of the most renowned members of this family was Sir John Sydnor (1725-1802), a respected magistrate and philanthropist who was knighted for his services to the Crown. He was instrumental in the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in the region.
As the British Empire expanded, the SYDNOR name also found its way to other parts of the world. In the early 19th century, a branch of the family emigrated to the American colonies, where they settled in Virginia and other southern states. One notable figure from this era was James Sydnor (1788-1861), a prominent plantation owner and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Another significant figure in the history of the SYDNOR surname was Sir William Sydnor (1845-1921), a British naval officer who rose to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. He was widely respected for his leadership during the Crimean War and played a crucial role in the modernization of the Royal Navy.
In the 20th century, the SYDNOR name continued to be represented across various fields, including academia, sports, and the arts. One notable individual was Dr. Charles Sydnor (1898-1962), a renowned historian and professor at Duke University, who specialized in the study of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sydnor
Among Census respondents with the surname Sydnor, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.3%. The next largest groups are White (35.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sydnor 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 Sydnor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.3% · 1,509
- White35.2% · 961
- Two or more races5.8% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sydnor
Sydnor 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
#11,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,751
+89 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 479 places
2020
#11,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,727
-24 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,969 | 2,662 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,448 | 2,751 | 0.93 | +89 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 479 places |
| 2020 | #11,107 | 2,727 | 0.91 | -24 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 341 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 Sydnor 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 | #11,448 | #11,107 | 3.0% |
| Count | 2,751 | 2,727 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.91 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sydnor bearers went from 2,751 to 2,727 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 341 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,448 to #11,107.
FAQ
Sydnor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sydnor?
Name Census estimates that about 3,127 living Americans carry the surname Sydnor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,611 residents.
How common is Sydnor?
Sydnor ranks #11,107 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,727 people with the surname Sydnor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Sydnor.
Has Sydnor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sydnor went from 2,751 recorded bearers to 2,727. That is a decrease of 24 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,448 to #11,107.
What does the Census say about the background of Sydnor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sydnor, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.3%. The next largest groups are White (35.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sydnor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.3% (1,509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sydnor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.3%), White (35.2%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Sydnor (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 Sydnor mean?
An English occupational surname for a dresser of cloth or tailor. 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 Sydnor (0.91 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 have the last name Sydnor?
Find out how many people have the last name Sydnor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.