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

Sobral, 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 Sobral surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sobral in America

Sobral is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sobral surname appeared 188 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 Sobral.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sobral 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 Sobral

The surname Sobral has its roots in Portugal, originating as a toponymic name derived from the town of Sobral in the district of Setúbal. The name is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Sobral can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document records several individuals bearing the Sobral surname, suggesting its widespread use among Portuguese nobility and gentry at the time.

The name Sobral is thought to have originated from the Latin word "supra," meaning "above" or "on top of," possibly referring to the elevated location of the town of Sobral. Alternatively, it may have derived from the Latin word "suber," meaning "cork oak tree," as the region was known for its cork production.

In the 15th century, during the Age of Exploration, several individuals with the surname Sobral played significant roles in Portugal's maritime expeditions and colonial endeavors. One notable figure was João Rodrigues Sobral, a navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

Another prominent bearer of the Sobral surname was João de Almeida Sobral (1556-1621), a Portuguese military commander and governor of Portuguese India. He played a crucial role in the defense of Portuguese territories against Dutch and English forces in the early 17th century.

In the realm of arts and literature, Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco Sobral (1905-1982) was a renowned Portuguese poet and essayist. His works explored themes of nostalgia, melancholy, and the beauty of the Portuguese landscape.

Moving to the Americas, José Antônio Sobral (1838-1911) was a prominent Brazilian lawyer, politician, and abolitionist. He played a significant role in the movement to abolish slavery in Brazil and served as a member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.

In more recent times, Ernesto Soares da Costa Sobral (1902-1990) was a distinguished Portuguese architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Lisbon and other cities, including the Rossio Railway Station and the Jerónimos Monastery.

While the Sobral surname has its origins in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to former Portuguese colonies and countries with significant Portuguese immigration. However, the earliest and most prominent historical references to the name can be traced back to its Portuguese roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sobral

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

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

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

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