# Sanderson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/sanderson/  
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) | 24,384 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,462 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 12,662 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.9% (23,469 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsæn.dɚ.sən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

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

## Who carries it

Share of people named Sanderson 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) | 86% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 6.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Sanderson in the United States and the United Kingdom.

## People named Sanderson

- Brandon Sanderson, American fantasy writer (born 1975)
- William Sanderson, American actor
- Cael Sanderson, American wrestler
- Jake Sanderson, American ice hockey player
- Sibyl Sanderson, American operatic soprano (1864-1903)
- Ivan T. Sanderson, British biologist (1911–1973)
- Nikki Sanderson, British actress (born 1984)

## Similar surnames

Sanders, Saunders, Sander, Sanderlin, Sandridge, Sandor, Santore, Sanderford, Snyder, Schneider, Snider, Santoro.

## 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.