Explore the Family Name Sara
The meaning of Sara
1. Italian and Jewish; Hungarian (Sára): from the female personal name Sara, borne in the Bible by the wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis she was originally called Sarai (said to mean ‘contentious’ in Hebrew), but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah ‘princess’ in token of a greater blessing (Genesis 17:15, ‘And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be’). Compare Sarah 1. 2. English (Cornwall): from the Middle English and Old French female personal name Sare, Sarre (modern English Sarah 2), Latinized as Sarra, and borrowed from Greek Sarra, a Hellenized form of Hebrew Sarai (see 1 above). The personal name was widely used in medieval England, especially in the southern and eastern counties. Compare Sarratt and Sarson. 3. Spanish; unexplained. It is found in Navarre and Extremadura.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sara in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Sara' has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 23,391st to 23,768th, indicating a change of -1.61%. Despite this drop in ranking, the count of individuals with the surname 'Sara' increased by 4.93%, from 1,014 in 2000 to 1,064 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a marginal decrease from 0.38 to 0.36, which is a change of -5.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,391 | #23,768 | -1.61% |
| Count | 1,014 | 1,064 | 4.93% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.38 | 0.36 | -5.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sara
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Sara' according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were several shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest growth was observed among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, which went up by 28.57% from 8.19% to 10.53%. There was also a significant increase amongst those identifying as Black, with a rise of 26.30% from 3.65% to 4.61%. The population identifying as White saw a minor increase of 1.08%, rising from 68.34% to 69.08%. However, there were decreases in some groups. Those identifying as two or more races decreased substantially by 66.96%, reducing from 4.54% to 1.50%. A similar trend was observed in the American Indian and Alaskan Native group, where there was a decline of 36.44%, falling from 1.18% to 0.75%. Finally, the Hispanic group saw a modest decrease of 4.04%, moving from 14.10% to 13.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.34% | 69.08% | 1.08% |
| Hispanic | 14.1% | 13.53% | -4.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 8.19% | 10.53% | 28.57% |
| Black | 3.65% | 4.61% | 26.3% |
| Two or More Races | 4.54% | 1.5% | -66.96% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.18% | 0.75% | -36.44% |