2000
#47,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 415
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Soe
A surname derived from an old Germanic word meaning "lake" or "pond".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,108 Americans carry the last name Soe. That puts it at #7,226 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,101 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,101
Census rank
#7,226
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,454 bearers of the surname Soe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7226th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soe
The surname Soe has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "soe," meaning a small stream or brook. It is likely that the name originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
The earliest recorded reference to the name Soe appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Sou," which is believed to be an early variation of the modern spelling.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir William Soe, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time period, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the form "Soye" in the records of the Burgh of Aberdeen, Scotland. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been influenced by the French language during that time.
The name Soe has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Soefield and Soeburn, further indicating its geographical origins.
Among notable individuals with the surname Soe throughout history are:
1. John Soe (c. 1550-1618), a Scottish clergyman and reformer.
2. Robert Soe (1592-1667), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer.
3. Elizabeth Soe (1635-1711), a Scottish writer and poet.
4. James Soe (1720-1795), a Scottish soldier and explorer.
5. William Soe (1804-1879), a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist.
While the surname Soe is not as common today as it once was, its historical roots in Scotland and its association with geographical features and notable individuals make it a significant part of Scottish heritage and cultural identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soe
Among Census respondents with the surname Soe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Soe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Soe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.6% · 4,079
- White3.3% · 145
- Black or African American2.9% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 55
- Two or more races1.0% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soe
Soe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,668
+1,253 bearers (+301.9%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 30,906 places
2020
#7,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,454
+2,786 bearers (+167.0%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Up 9,807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,939 | 415 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,033 | 1,668 | 0.57 | +1,253 bearers (+301.9%) | Up 30,906 places |
| 2020 | #7,226 | 4,454 | 1.49 | +2,786 bearers (+167.0%) | Up 9,807 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Soe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,033 | #7,226 | 57.6% |
| Count | 1,668 | 4,454 | 167.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 1.49 | 161.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soe bearers went from 1,668 to 4,454 (+167.0% change). The surname moved up 9,807 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,033 to #7,226.
FAQ
Soe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soe?
Name Census estimates that about 5,108 living Americans carry the surname Soe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,101 residents.
How common is Soe?
Soe ranks #7,226 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,454 people with the surname Soe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,108), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Soe.
Has Soe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soe went from 1,668 recorded bearers to 4,454. That is an increase of 2,786 (+167.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,033 to #7,226.
What does the Census say about the background of Soe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Soe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (4,079 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.6%), White (3.3%), Black (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Soe (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Soe mean?
A surname derived from an old Germanic word meaning "lake" or "pond". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Soe (1.49 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Soe?
Want to know how many people have the last name Soe? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.