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

Sobo, 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 Sobo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sobo in America

Sobo is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sobo surname appeared 172 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 Sobo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sobo 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 Sobo

The surname SOBO has its origins in Poland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "sob," which means "beaver." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a beaver pond or engaged in hunting or trapping beavers.

In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Sobo, Sobko, and Sobkiewicz, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of historical records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where a certain Jan Sobo is mentioned in an entry dated 1587.

The name SOBO is particularly prevalent in the regions of Małopolska and Podkarpacie in southern Poland, where it is associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 17th century, a prominent clergyman named Karol Sobo (1620-1691) served as the Bishop of Przemyśl and was known for his contributions to education and the establishment of schools in the region.

Another individual of significance was Michał Sobo (1785-1848), a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general in the Polish Army during the November Uprising against the Russian Empire.

In the 19th century, the name SOBO gained further recognition with the birth of Jan Sobo (1836-1914), a renowned Polish painter and illustrator whose works captured the beauty of the Polish countryside and rural life. His paintings are displayed in several prestigious museums in Poland and abroad.

The name SOBO also has a connection to the town of Sobolów in the Lublin Voivodeship of eastern Poland. This place name, derived from the word "sobol" (meaning "sable"), likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

Another notable figure was Stanisław Sobo (1897-1984), a Polish writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories depicting life in rural Poland during the early 20th century. His works were widely acclaimed for their vivid descriptions and authentic portrayal of Polish village culture.

While the name SOBO is predominantly found in Poland, it has also been recorded in other Slavic countries, such as Ukraine and Belarus, possibly due to migration patterns or historical connections between these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sobo

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

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

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

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