2000
#17,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,463
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Sardina
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word for "sardine".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,633 Americans carry the last name Sardina. That puts it at #19,077 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 209,892 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sardina 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
1.6K
1 in 209,892
Census rank
#19,077
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,424 bearers of the surname Sardina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19077th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sardina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.2%. The next largest groups are White (46.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sardina
The surname "SARDINA" is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sardinia and Sicily. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 5th and 15th centuries.
The name "SARDINA" is derived from the Italian word "sardina," which means "sardine." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who caught or sold sardines, or perhaps lived near areas known for sardine fishing.
While there are no definitive historical references to the name "SARDINA" in ancient manuscripts or records, it is possible that variations of the name appeared in local parish records or tax rolls from medieval times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "SARDINA" was Giovanni Sardina, a Sicilian merchant born in the late 15th century. He was known for his successful trade in salted fish, including sardines, between Sicily and other Mediterranean ports.
Another notable figure was Maria Sardina, a noblewoman from Sardinia who lived in the 16th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of local artisans and craftsmen.
In the 17th century, Francesco Sardina was a renowned painter from Sicily who was commissioned to create works for churches and noble families in Palermo and other cities.
During the 18th century, Giuseppe Sardina was a respected scholar and linguist from Sardinia who wrote extensively on the island's history and culture.
In the 19th century, Antonio Sardina was a prominent politician and lawyer from Sicily who played a role in the unification of Italy and advocated for the rights of the island's citizens.
The name "SARDINA" is still present in various regions of Italy today, particularly in Sardinia and Sicily, where it may have originated from place names or local dialects related to the sardine fish or fishing industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sardina
Among Census respondents with the surname Sardina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.2%. The next largest groups are White (46.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sardina 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 Sardina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino49.2% · 700
- White46.6% · 664
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 11
- Black or African American0.6% · 8
- Two or more races0.5% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sardina
Sardina 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
#17,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,652
+189 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 525 places
2020
#19,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,424
-228 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 1,926 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,676 | 1,463 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,151 | 1,652 | 0.56 | +189 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 525 places |
| 2020 | #19,077 | 1,424 | 0.48 | -228 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 1,926 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 Sardina 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 | #17,151 | #19,077 | -11.2% |
| Count | 1,652 | 1,424 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.48 | -14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sardina bearers went from 1,652 to 1,424 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 1,926 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,151 to #19,077.
FAQ
Sardina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sardina?
Name Census estimates that about 1,633 living Americans carry the surname Sardina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 209,892 residents.
How common is Sardina?
Sardina ranks #19,077 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 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 1,424 people with the surname Sardina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,633), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 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 Sardina.
Has Sardina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sardina went from 1,652 recorded bearers to 1,424. That is a decrease of 228 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,151 to #19,077.
What does the Census say about the background of Sardina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sardina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.2%. The next largest groups are White (46.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sardina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.2% (700 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sardina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (49.2%), White (46.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Sardina (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 Sardina mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word for "sardine". 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 Sardina (0.48 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 Americans have the surname Sardina?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.