Explore the Family Name Sima
The meaning of Sima
1. Czech (Šíma): from a pet form of the personal name Šimon (see Simon). 2. Hungarian: from a pet form of the personal name Simon. 3. Jewish (from Ukraine): from the Yiddish female name Sime, a derivative of Hebrew simcha ‘joy’. 4. Germanized form of Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Slovenian Zima. 5. Albanian: from the personal name Simë (definite form Sima), a short form of Simon. 6. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 司馬: (i) from the post name Si-Ma (司馬) in ancient China in charge of the national security and the military. (ii) said to be adopted in place of the surname Niu (牛) by the emperor Si-Ma Rui (司馬睿), known as Emperor Yuan of Jin (276–323 AD), founder of the Eastern Jin dynasty (316–420 AD). (iii) adopted by the other families during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sima in the United States?
According to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sima has seen a modest increase in popularity over a 10-year period. In 2000, it held the rank of 26,807, but by 2010, it had climbed to 26,025, marking an improvement of 2.92%. Similarly, the count of individuals bearing this surname expanded from 853 in 2000 to 942 in 2010, representing a growth of 10.43%. However, the proportion of people with the Sima surname per 100,000 remained constant at 0.32.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,807 | #26,025 | 2.92% |
| Count | 853 | 942 | 10.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sima
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as White made up the majority of those with the Sima surname, although their percentage dropped from 86.28% to 78.13%. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a significant increase from 3.28% to 5.20%. The Black community also saw a substantial rise in representation, up from 5.16% in 2000 to 9.77% in 2010. The Hispanic population experienced a moderate increase from 2.70% to 3.40%. No changes were recorded for those identifying with two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.28% | 78.13% | -9.45% |
| Black | 5.16% | 9.77% | 89.34% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.28% | 5.2% | 58.54% |
| Hispanic | 2.7% | 3.4% | 25.93% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |