2000
#6,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.92
Rare Last name
Sabin
An English occupational surname for a sawyer or woodcutter, derived from the Old English "sagin" meaning "sawing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,893 Americans carry the last name Sabin. That puts it at #6,369 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sabin 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 Sabin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,163
Census rank
#6,369
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,139 bearers of the surname Sabin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6369th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sabin
The surname Sabin is believed to have originated in France, where it was derived from the Latin name Sabinus, which means "a Sabine". The Sabines were an ancient Italic people who inhabited the central Apennine region of ancient Italy. The name was likely adopted by early settlers in France with roots or ancestry traced back to the Sabine region.
The earliest known record of the Sabin surname in France dates back to the 12th century. It appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Sabin was Robert Sabin, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He was later granted lands in Sussex, England, for his service.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Sabin, who lived in the 14th century and was a distinguished knight and landowner in Gloucestershire, England. He was known for his valor and military exploits during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various records in the form of Sabyn or Sabine, reflecting the French influence on the spelling. One prominent figure from this era was John Sabyn, a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England, who played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce.
During the 16th century, the surname Sabin became more widely adopted across Europe, with notable individuals such as Sir Erasmus Sabin, an English diplomat and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his diplomatic skills and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties with other European nations.
In the 17th century, the surname Sabin gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of George Sabin, an English poet and playwright. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of English drama and his collaborations with other renowned playwrights of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sabin
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sabin 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 Sabin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 4,490
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 295
- Two or more races3.6% · 185
- Black or African American1.8% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sabin
Sabin 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
#6,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,496
+306 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Down 127 places
2020
#6,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,139
-357 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,097 | 5,190 | 1.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,224 | 5,496 | 1.86 | +306 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 127 places |
| 2020 | #6,369 | 5,139 | 1.72 | -357 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 145 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 Sabin 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 | #6,224 | #6,369 | -2.3% |
| Count | 5,496 | 5,139 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.86 | 1.72 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sabin bearers went from 5,496 to 5,139 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 145 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,224 to #6,369.
FAQ
Sabin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sabin?
Name Census estimates that about 5,893 living Americans carry the surname Sabin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,163 residents.
How common is Sabin?
Sabin ranks #6,369 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,139 people with the surname Sabin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,893), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sabin.
Has Sabin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sabin went from 5,496 recorded bearers to 5,139. That is a decrease of 357 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,224 to #6,369.
What does the Census say about the background of Sabin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sabin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Sabin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (4,490 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sabin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Sabin (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 Sabin mean?
An English occupational surname for a sawyer or woodcutter, derived from the Old English "sagin" meaning "sawing." 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 Sabin (1.72 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 Sabin?
You can see how many people have the surname Sabin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.