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

Sobers, 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 Sobers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sobers in America

Sobers is the 21048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sobers surname appeared 1,249 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sobers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sobers 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 Sobers

The surname Sobers is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "sober," which meant "calm" or "self-controlled." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive surname for someone who exhibited these traits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sobers surname can be found in the Parish Register of Wiltshire, where a Thomas Sobers was mentioned in 1587. The name also appears in the records of the Harthill Parish in Yorkshire, where a John Sobers was listed in 1629.

In terms of historical references, the Sobers name appears to have been relatively uncommon in ancient records and manuscripts. However, it is worth noting that the spelling of surnames was often inconsistent in older times, and variations such as Sobbers, Sobres, or Sobres may have been used interchangeably.

One notable individual with the Sobers surname was Sir Garfield Sobers, a legendary West Indian cricketer who played from 1954 to 1974. Born in 1936 in Bridgetown, Barbados, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport.

Another prominent figure was John Sobers, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hertfordshire in the late 17th century. He was born in 1638 and played a pivotal role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

In the realm of literature, there was William Sobers, an English poet and playwright who lived in the 18th century. He is best known for his satirical works and commentary on the social and political issues of his time.

The name Sobers can also be found in the arts, with James Sobers being a renowned landscape painter from the late 19th century. His works, which captured the beauty of the English countryside, are still highly prized by collectors today.

Finally, mention should be made of Sarah Sobers, an early pioneer in the field of education. Born in 1790, she established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Bristol, England, at a time when female education was still widely neglected.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sobers

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

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

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

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