Explore the Family Name Sambo

The meaning of Sambo

1. Italian: from the personal name Sambo, which is probably of ancient Germanic origin. 2. Cambodian: written សំបូរ, unexplained. 3. West African (mainly Nigeria and Niger): Hausa name, from a personal name denoting a second son. 4. South African (mainly Mozambique): unexplained. 5. West Indian (Dutch Caribbean): status name or nickname for the child of mulatto and a black woman or man. Sambo is among the ten most frequent surnames on Curaçao.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sambo has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname moved up from 59,916th place in 2000 to 53,667th in 2010, a positive change of about 10.43%. Similarly, the count of people with this surname also witnessed a surge of around 22.22%, rising from 315 in 2000 to 385 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of people carrying the Sambo surname per 100,000 increased by 8.33%.

20002010Change
Rank#59,916#53,66710.43%
Count31538522.22%
Proportion per 100k0.120.138.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sambo

In terms of ethnic identity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there has been a slight shift over the decade. Asian/Pacific Islanders with the surname Sambo saw a minor increase of about 2.08% between 2000 and 2010. Interestingly, those identifying as two or more races and Hispanic were not recorded in 2000 but appeared in 2010 with proportions of 5.19% and 9.35% respectively. On the other hand, the proportion of White, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with the surname decreased by 18.19%, 10.28%, and 39.92% respectively during the same period.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander30.79%31.43%2.08%
White33.65%27.53%-18.19%
Black26.35%23.64%-10.28%
Hispanic0%9.35%0%
Two or More Races0%5.19%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native4.76%2.86%-39.92%