Find out how popular the last name Soares is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Soares.

Soares, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Soares surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Soares in America

Soares is the 3069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Soares surname appeared 11,694 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Soares.

We can also compare 2010 data for Soares to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Soares

The surname SOARES originated in Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "soarus," meaning "hawk" or "falcon." This name was likely given to someone who worked as a falconer or hunter of birds of prey.

The earliest recorded instances of the SOARES surname can be found in Portuguese historical documents dating back to the 12th century. One notable example is a reference to a nobleman named Soeiro Soares, who lived in the region of Galicia in the late 12th century.

During the Age of Discovery, many Portuguese explorers and settlers bearing the SOARES surname helped establish colonies in various parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. This contributed to the widespread distribution of the name across multiple continents.

One famous individual with the SOARES surname was Tomé Soares, a Portuguese navigator and explorer who lived from around 1470 to 1539. He was a prominent figure in the early voyages of discovery and played a significant role in establishing Portuguese trade routes to India and the Far East.

Another notable SOARES was Luís de Sousa Soares, a 17th-century Portuguese nobleman and military leader. He served as the Governor of Brazil from 1618 to 1622 and played a crucial role in defending the Portuguese colony against the Dutch during the latter part of the Iberian Union.

In the realm of literature, Joaquim Soares de Passos (1826-1890) was a renowned Portuguese poet and playwright. He was a prominent figure in the Romantic movement and made significant contributions to Portuguese literature with his works, such as "O Galego" and "O Velho da Horta."

Moving into the 20th century, Mário Soares (1924-2017) was a prominent Portuguese politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and later as the President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996. Soares played a crucial role in the transition to democracy after the Carnation Revolution in 1974.

Throughout history, the SOARES surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, military leaders, writers, and politicians. Its enduring presence across multiple regions is a testament to the far-reaching influence of Portuguese culture and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Soares

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Soares.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Soares was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Soares has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Soares was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Soares, please contact us.

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