Explore the Family Name Samba

The meaning of Samba

1. African (mainly Congo): unexplained. 2. West African (mainly Mauritania): Fulani name derived from the name Thiamaba, borne by their mythical ancestor.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Samba in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Samba has seen a significant increase in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. Previously ranking 85,297th in popularity in 2000, it rose dramatically to 55,386th by 2010 - an impressive increase of 35.07%. The number of people carrying this surname likewise increased by 81.86% during the same period, rising from 204 in 2000 to 371 in 2010. This led to an increase in the proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 people from 0.08 to 0.13, marking a 62.5% change.

20002010Change
Rank#85,297#55,38635.07%
Count20437181.86%
Proportion per 100k0.080.1362.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Samba

Turning to ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been notable shifts among those who identify as having Samba as their surname. The proportion identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander nearly doubled, increasing by 89.57% from 4.41% to 8.36%. Conversely, those identifying as two or more races saw a significant decrease, dropping from 10.78% to just 2.70%, a decline of 74.95%. While no individuals identified as White or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, by 2010, 3.5% identified as White whereas the latter category remained the same. The number of individuals identifying as Hispanic dropped to zero, while the proportion of those identifying as Black saw an increase of 7.57%, from 78.43% to 84.37% over the decade.

20002010Change
Black78.43%84.37%7.57%
Asian/Pacific Islander4.41%8.36%89.57%
White0%3.5%0%
Two or More Races10.78%2.7%-74.95%
Hispanic3.92%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%