2000
#59,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Sambo
A derogatory term referencing a caricature of black people in the United States.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 466 Americans carry the last name Sambo. That puts it at #54,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 735,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sambo 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
466
1 in 735,524
Census rank
#54,736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
406
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 406 bearers of the surname Sambo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sambo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 36.5%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and White (22.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sambo
The surname "SAMBO" is believed to have originated in West Africa, specifically in the region of modern-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. It is thought to have emerged as early as the 16th century during the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The name is derived from the word "Sambo," which was a derogatory term used to refer to individuals of mixed African and European descent. This term was widely used in the Americas during the colonial era and was often associated with negative stereotypes and racism.
While the exact origins of the surname are unclear, it is believed that some enslaved Africans may have adopted the term as a surname upon their arrival in the Americas. This could have been a way for them to identify themselves or it may have been imposed upon them by slaveholders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "SAMBO" can be found in the records of the British colony of Virginia in the late 17th century. In these records, there are references to individuals with the surname, suggesting that it was in use by that time.
Over the centuries, the surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One such person was Samuel Sambo, a freed slave who lived in Virginia in the late 18th century. He is known for his involvement in the American Revolutionary War, where he fought alongside the Continental Army.
Another notable figure with the surname "SAMBO" was Ignatius Sancho, a writer, composer, and abolitionist who lived in England in the 18th century. Born on a slave ship, he was later brought to England and gained his freedom. He became a prominent figure in literary circles and used his platform to advocate for the abolition of slavery.
In the 19th century, the surname was borne by Harriet Tubman, the legendary abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad. Her birth name was Araminta Ross, but she later adopted the surname "Tubman" after her marriage to John Tubman.
Moving into the 20th century, the name "SAMBO" was carried by Ralph Bunche, an American political scientist and diplomat. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for his work in mediating the Arab-Israeli conflict.
It is worth noting that while the surname "SAMBO" has a complex and often painful history, it has been reclaimed and embraced by some individuals as a way to honor their ancestors and cultural heritage. However, the derogatory connotations associated with the term cannot be ignored, and its use remains a sensitive and controversial topic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sambo
Among Census respondents with the surname Sambo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 36.5%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and White (22.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sambo 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 Sambo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander36.5% · 148
- Black or African American27.6% · 112
- White22.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 31
- Two or more races3.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sambo
Sambo 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
#53,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 385
+70 bearers (+22.2%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 6,249 places
2020
#54,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 406
+21 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 1,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,916 | 315 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,667 | 385 | 0.13 | +70 bearers (+22.2%) | Up 6,249 places |
| 2020 | #54,736 | 406 | 0.14 | +21 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 1,069 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 Sambo 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 | #53,667 | #54,736 | -2.0% |
| Count | 385 | 406 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sambo bearers went from 385 to 406 (+5.5% change). The surname moved down 1,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,667 to #54,736.
FAQ
Sambo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sambo?
Name Census estimates that about 466 living Americans carry the surname Sambo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 735,524 residents.
How common is Sambo?
Sambo ranks #54,736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 406 people with the surname Sambo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (466), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sambo.
Has Sambo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sambo went from 385 recorded bearers to 406. That is an increase of 21 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #53,667 to #54,736.
What does the Census say about the background of Sambo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sambo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 36.5%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and White (22.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sambo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 36.5% (148 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sambo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.5%), Black (27.6%), White (22.2%). 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 Sambo (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 Sambo mean?
A derogatory term referencing a caricature of black people in the United States. 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 Sambo (0.14 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 share the surname Sambo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.