2000
#2,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.52
Uncommon Last name
Sisk
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Síoscáin" meaning "descendant of Síoscán," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,105 Americans carry the last name Sisk. That puts it at #3,064 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sisk 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 Sisk with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,154
Census rank
#3,064
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,428 bearers of the surname Sisk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3064th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisk, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sisk
The surname Sisk is believed to have originated in Ireland, likely during the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "siosc," meaning "sedge" or "rush," which were types of marsh plants commonly found in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Petty's Census of Ireland, conducted in 1659. This census listed several individuals with the surname Sisk, primarily concentrated in counties such as Cork, Kerry, and Limerick.
There are records of a Richard Sisk, born around 1620, who was a landowner in County Cork during the mid-17th century. He is mentioned in several land deeds and property records from that time period.
In the late 18th century, a prominent figure named John Sisk (1738-1811) was a successful merchant and shipping magnate based in the city of Cork. He was known for his involvement in the transatlantic trade between Ireland and the American colonies.
During the 19th century, the surname Sisk became more widespread throughout Ireland. One notable individual was Michael Sisk (1829-1901), a renowned educator and headmaster of several schools in County Cork.
In more recent history, a famous bearer of the Sisk surname was Sir Robert Sisk (1903-1980), a British businessman and construction magnate. He founded the company now known as Sisk Group, one of the largest construction firms in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Other individuals of note with the last name Sisk include the American author and poet, Jacqueline Sisk (1924-2002), and the Irish-born Australian politician, David Sisk (1936-2010), who served as a member of the Australian Senate.
While the exact origins of the surname Sisk are not definitively known, it is widely believed to have originated in Ireland, likely stemming from the Irish word "siosc" and its association with marsh plants. The name has been recorded in various historical records and documents over the centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the surname making significant contributions in fields such as business, education, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sisk
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisk, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sisk 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 Sisk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 10,089
- Two or more races3.8% · 437
- Black or African American3.5% · 403
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 339
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sisk
Sisk 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
#2,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,365
+174 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 4.19
Rank movement Down 192 places
2020
#3,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,428
-937 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 3.82
Rank movement Down 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,709 | 12,191 | 4.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,901 | 12,365 | 4.19 | +174 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 192 places |
| 2020 | #3,064 | 11,428 | 3.82 | -937 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 163 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 Sisk 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 | #2,901 | #3,064 | -5.6% |
| Count | 12,365 | 11,428 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.19 | 3.82 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sisk bearers went from 12,365 to 11,428 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,901 to #3,064.
FAQ
Sisk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sisk?
Name Census estimates that about 13,105 living Americans carry the surname Sisk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,154 residents.
How common is Sisk?
Sisk ranks #3,064 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,428 people with the surname Sisk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Sisk.
Has Sisk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sisk went from 12,365 recorded bearers to 11,428. That is a decrease of 937 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,901 to #3,064.
What does the Census say about the background of Sisk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisk, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Sisk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (10,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sisk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (3.5%). 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 Sisk (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 Sisk mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Síoscáin" meaning "descendant of Síoscán," a personal name of uncertain origin. 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 Sisk (3.82 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 Sisk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.