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

Sobel, 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 Sobel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sobel in America

Sobel is the 9548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sobel surname appeared 3,405 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sobel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sobel 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 Sobel

The surname Sobel is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Sobel," which means "a small sword." This name likely referred to an occupation, perhaps a swordsmith or a soldier who carried a small sword.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sobel can be found in the Liber Censualis, a tax record from the city of Cologne, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears as "Sobelsmid," which translates to "sword smith."

In the 15th century, the name Sobel was also found in various records from the town of Nuremberg. A notable individual from this time was Hans Sobel, a master blacksmith who specialized in crafting swords and daggers for the local nobility.

During the 16th century, the Sobel family spread across different regions of Germany, with some branches establishing themselves in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. In the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a record from 1583 mentions a merchant named Jakob Sobel, who traded in various goods, including weapons.

As the surname Sobel became more widespread, it also began to appear in different spellings, such as Sobell, Sobelle, and Söbel. One notable figure from this period was Johann Sobell, a Lutheran theologian born in 1610 in Nuremberg, who authored several influential works on religious doctrine.

In the 18th century, the Sobel name gained prominence in the arts and academia. Johann Friedrich Sobel, born in 1745 in Dresden, was a renowned composer and music theorist who made significant contributions to the development of harmony and counterpoint.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the surname Sobel continued to make their mark in various fields. Carl Sobel, born in 1859 in Berlin, was a celebrated painter and sculptor, known for his intricate works depicting historical scenes and mythological themes.

Additionally, the name Sobel was associated with scientific achievements. Albert Sobel, born in 1876 in Frankfurt, was a pioneering mathematician who made important contributions to the field of statistics and probability theory.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the military legacy associated with the name Sobel. During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Sobel gained recognition as the commanding officer of the Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, which played a crucial role in the Normandy Invasion and the liberation of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sobel

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

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 Sobel 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 Sobel 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 Sobel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!