2000
#34,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 621
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Sexson
An occupational surname referring to one responsible for collecting taxes or tithes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 777 Americans carry the last name Sexson. That puts it at #35,675 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 441,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sexson 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
777
1 in 441,125
Census rank
#35,675
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
678
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 678 bearers of the surname Sexson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35675th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sexson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sexson
The surname Sexson is believed to have its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances of the name dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "seax," meaning a knife or a short sword, and "son," indicating a person's relationship to their father or ancestor.
One of the earliest known references to the Sexson name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire, where a certain John Sexson was recorded as being baptized in 1598. This suggests that the name may have initially been concentrated in the East Midlands region of England.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sexson name appears to have spread across various parts of England, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. One notable example is that of William Sexson, a merchant from Hull who was born in 1649 and is mentioned in several historical documents related to trade and commerce in the region.
In the 19th century, the Sexson name gained some prominence with the birth of James Sexson (1808-1887), a British politician and member of parliament for Liverpool. He was known for his advocacy of social reforms and his support for the working class.
Another individual of note is Sir Edward Sexson (1856-1932), a renowned historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of England during the Tudor and Stuart periods. His most famous work, "The Reign of Elizabeth I," published in 1901, is still considered a seminal text on the subject.
Across the Atlantic, the Sexson name also found its way to the United States, with some of the earliest recorded instances being in the state of Virginia during the late 18th century. One such individual was Thomas Sexson (1765-1842), a farmer and landowner who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Over the centuries, various spelling variations of the Sexson name have been documented, including Sexston, Sexsone, and Sexsoun. These variations are often attributed to regional dialects and variations in record-keeping practices during earlier periods.
While the surname Sexson may not be among the most common in modern times, its historical roots can be traced back several centuries, with individuals bearing the name having played roles in various aspects of society, from politics and literature to military service and agriculture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sexson
Among Census respondents with the surname Sexson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sexson 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 Sexson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 612
- Two or more races4.0% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 19
- Black or African American1.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sexson
Sexson 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
#36,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 614
-7 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,923 places
2020
#35,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 678
+64 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 751 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,503 | 621 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,426 | 614 | 0.21 | -7 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 1,923 places |
| 2020 | #35,675 | 678 | 0.23 | +64 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 751 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 Sexson 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 | #36,426 | #35,675 | 2.1% |
| Count | 614 | 678 | 10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.23 | 8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sexson bearers went from 614 to 678 (+10.4% change). The surname moved up 751 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,426 to #35,675.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sexson
FAQ
Sexson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sexson?
Name Census estimates that about 777 living Americans carry the surname Sexson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 441,125 residents.
How common is Sexson?
Sexson ranks #35,675 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 678 people with the surname Sexson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Sexson.
Has Sexson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sexson went from 614 recorded bearers to 678. That is an increase of 64 (+10.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #36,426 to #35,675.
What does the Census say about the background of Sexson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sexson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Sexson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (612 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sexson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Sexson (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 Sexson mean?
An occupational surname referring to one responsible for collecting taxes or tithes. 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 Sexson (0.23 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 Sexson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.