2000
#19,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.47
Rare Last name
Sansbury
A rare variant of the English locational surname derived from the place name Sainsbury or Sainsborough.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,135 Americans carry the last name Sansbury. That puts it at #26,016 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 301,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sansbury 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 Sansbury with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 301,986
Census rank
#26,016
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
990
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 990 bearers of the surname Sansbury in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26016th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sansbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sansbury
The surname Sansbury has its roots in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "sand" and "burg," meaning "sandy fort" or "sandy town." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a sandy area or a town with sandy soil.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a certain Willelmus de Sandesburc is mentioned. This record indicates that the name was in use during the medieval period in the county of Lincolnshire.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a settlement called "Sandesberie" is listed, which is likely related to the surname. This place name further supports the connection between the name and sandy locations.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Sandeburi, Sandesbury, and Sandesbyr, reflecting the evolving spelling patterns of the time. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Sansbury, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname was Richard Sansbury (c. 1510-1585), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex. Another individual of note was William Sansbury (1557-1623), a renowned English playwright and poet who contributed to the development of Elizabethan theatre.
Moving into the 17th century, the name gained recognition with the birth of Sarah Sansbury (1642-1701), a Quaker minister and author who was known for her religious writings and activism. In the same period, John Sansbury (1625-1693) made a mark as a successful merchant and landowner in the city of London.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Thomas Sansbury (1725-1789), a distinguished English architect who designed several notable buildings, including St. Martin's Church in Birmingham. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Sansbury (1765-1842), a philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for the education of underprivileged children.
As the centuries progressed, the Sansbury surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with families bearing this name making contributions in various fields, from politics and literature to science and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sansbury
Among Census respondents with the surname Sansbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sansbury 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 Sansbury surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.9% · 652
- Black or African American28.7% · 284
- Two or more races3.0% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sansbury
Sansbury 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
#21,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,201
-71 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Down 2,068 places
2020
#26,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 990
-211 bearers (-17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 4,330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,618 | 1,272 | 0.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,686 | 1,201 | 0.41 | -71 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 2,068 places |
| 2020 | #26,016 | 990 | 0.33 | -211 bearers (-17.6%) | Down 4,330 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 Sansbury 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 | #21,686 | #26,016 | -20.0% |
| Count | 1,201 | 990 | -17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.33 | -19.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sansbury bearers went from 1,201 to 990 (-17.6% change). The surname moved down 4,330 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,686 to #26,016.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sansbury
FAQ
Sansbury surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sansbury?
Name Census estimates that about 1,135 living Americans carry the surname Sansbury. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 301,986 residents.
How common is Sansbury?
Sansbury ranks #26,016 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 990 people with the surname Sansbury. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Sansbury.
Has Sansbury become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sansbury went from 1,201 recorded bearers to 990. That is a decrease of 211 (-17.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,686 to #26,016.
What does the Census say about the background of Sansbury?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sansbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Sansbury in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.9% (652 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sansbury appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.9%), Black (28.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Sansbury (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 Sansbury mean?
A rare variant of the English locational surname derived from the place name Sainsbury or Sainsborough. 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 Sansbury (0.33 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 Sansbury?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Sansbury, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.