2000
#23,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,014
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Sara
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "traveler".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,290 Americans carry the last name Sara. That puts it at #23,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 265,701 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sara 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 Sara with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 265,701
Census rank
#23,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,125 bearers of the surname Sara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sara, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.9%) and Hispanic (12.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sara
The surname SARA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It can be traced back to the Sanskrit word "सारथी" (sārathi), which means "charioteer" or "one who drives a chariot." This name was historically associated with the warrior class and those who played a crucial role in ancient battles, often accompanying kings and princes into combat while driving their chariots.
SARA is believed to have first appeared as a surname during the medieval period, when it was adopted by families whose ancestors were charioteers or held similar occupations related to transportation and warfare. The name is found in various historical records and manuscripts from that era, including Persian and Arabic texts that document the exploits of notable warriors and military leaders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SARA can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text mentions several individuals with the surname SARA who held prominent positions in the imperial court and military.
In the 17th century, a renowned warrior named Daulat Khan SARA gained recognition for his bravery and military prowess during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He was appointed as the governor of several provinces and played a significant role in quelling rebellions and defending the empire's territories.
Another notable figure with the surname SARA was Mirza Haider Beg SARA, a 17th-century poet and scholar who served as a courtier under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. His literary works, including poetry and historical accounts, are still studied and acclaimed today.
During the 18th century, the SARA surname gained prominence in the region of Punjab, where several families with this name held influential positions in local administration and military affairs. One such individual was Sardar Gurmukh Singh SARA, a powerful chieftain who commanded a contingent of cavalry during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire.
In the 19th century, the SARA surname became associated with various place names in the Indian subcontinent, such as Saradhana, Sarai, and Sarahpur, which were derived from the name or were named after individuals bearing this surname.
Over the centuries, the SARA surname has been spelled in various ways, including Sarra, Sarraa, and Sarrah, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. Despite these variations, the name's connection to its ancient roots as a representation of courage, leadership, and military prowess has remained a consistent theme throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sara
Among Census respondents with the surname Sara, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.9%) and Hispanic (12.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sara 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 Sara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.4% · 668
- Asian and Pacific Islander18.9% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino12.7% · 143
- Black or African American6.2% · 70
- Two or more races2.3% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sara
Sara 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
#23,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,064
+50 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 377 places
2020
#23,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,125
+61 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 459 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,391 | 1,014 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,768 | 1,064 | 0.36 | +50 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 377 places |
| 2020 | #23,309 | 1,125 | 0.38 | +61 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 459 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 Sara 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 | #23,768 | #23,309 | 1.9% |
| Count | 1,064 | 1,125 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 0.38 | 4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sara bearers went from 1,064 to 1,125 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 459 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,768 to #23,309.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sara
FAQ
Sara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sara?
Name Census estimates that about 1,290 living Americans carry the surname Sara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 265,701 residents.
How common is Sara?
Sara ranks #23,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,125 people with the surname Sara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,290), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Sara.
Has Sara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sara went from 1,064 recorded bearers to 1,125. That is an increase of 61 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,768 to #23,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Sara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sara, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.9%) and Hispanic (12.7%). 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 Sara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.4% (668 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (18.9%), Hispanic (12.7%). 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 Sara (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 Sara mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "traveler". 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 Sara (0.38 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 Sara?
See how common the surname Sara is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.