Explore the Family Name Sable
The meaning of Sable
1. Americanized form of German Zabel. 2. French: topographic name for someone who lived in a sandy place, from sable ‘sand’. 3. French (Sablé): habitational name from a place so called in Sarthe. 4. English: from the personal name Sabel, a Middle English pet form of the female name Isabel or a shortened form of Sabelin(e), a pet form of Sabin (male or female). 5. English: alternatively, the name may have arisen as a nickname for a furrier or for someone with black hair, from Middle English sable ‘sable, black fur, the color black’, but the absence of medieval evidence for the nickname makes this explanation quite conjectural.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sable in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Sable saw a considerable decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sable ranked 17,996 in terms of surname popularity and had a count of 1,430; however, by 2010, it had dropped to rank 21,371 with a count of 1,225. This represents a change of -18.75 in rank and -14.34 in count. The proportion per 100k also decreased by -20.75 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,996 | #21,371 | -18.75% |
| Count | 1,430 | 1,225 | -14.34% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.53 | 0.42 | -20.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sable
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnicity associated with the surname Sable. From 2000 to 2010, the White population with the Sable surname decreased slightly by -1.00 to 91.18, while the Hispanic and Black populations also saw decreases of -19.89 and -17.29 respectively. However, the data shows that the number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or reporting two or more races increased. The percentage of Sable individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose from 0 to 1.71, while those identifying with two or more races increased by 164.94 to 2.04. There was no change in the American Indian and Alaskan Native population, it remained at 0.00 in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.1% | 91.18% | -1% |
| Hispanic | 3.57% | 2.86% | -19.89% |
| Black | 2.66% | 2.2% | -17.29% |
| Two or More Races | 0.77% | 2.04% | 164.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.71% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |