# Sanders (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/sanders/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 230,374 |
| US rank (2010) | 94 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,340 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.3% (220,902 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsændəɹz/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From the Middle English Sander, a shortened form of Alexander + suffix -s.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Sanders in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 61% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 33% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Sanders in the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Australia.

## People named Sanders

- Harland Sanders, American entrepreneur (1890-1980) who founded KFC
- George Sanders, British actor (1906–1972)
- Pharoah Sanders, American jazz saxophonist (1940–2022)
- Chris Sanders, American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor (born 1962)
- Erin Sanders, American actress
- Ashton Sanders, American actor
- Christoph Sanders, American actor
- Jay O. Sanders, American actor (born 1953)
- Summer Sanders, American sports commentator, reporter, television personality, actress and former competit
- Barry Sanders, American football player (born 1968)
- Satch Sanders, American basketball player and coach
- Larry Sanders, American basketball player (born 1988)

and 39 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Saunders, Senters, Snyder, Snider, Sanderson, Sander, Sanderlin, Sandridge, Sandor, Santore, Sender, Sanderford.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.