2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Soechting
A German surname derived from a placename or from an occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Soechting. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soechting 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Soechting in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soechting, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soechting
The surname Soechting has its roots in Germany, originating in the region of Lower Saxony during the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the old Germanic word "soecht," which means "peaceful" or "calm." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals with a tranquil disposition or those residing in a serene area.
One of the earliest records of the Soechting name can be found in the archives of the city of Hannover, where a certain Hans Soechting was listed as a merchant in the year 1587. Another notable mention is in the parish records of the town of Göttingen, where a family by the name of Soechting was documented in the early 17th century.
During the 18th century, the name began to appear in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. One notable individual from this period was Johann Soechting, a Lutheran pastor born in 1725 in the town of Eisenach. He was known for his scholarly works on theology and his contributions to the local community.
As the Soechting family continued to spread across Germany, some members ventured further afield. In the late 19th century, a branch of the family emigrated to the United States, settling in the Midwest region. One of the earliest recorded Soechtings in America was Karl Soechting, who arrived in New York in 1892 and later established a successful farming business in Iowa.
Throughout history, the Soechting name has been associated with various professions and disciplines. In the 20th century, Hans Soechting (1895-1971) was a renowned German physicist who made significant contributions to the field of optics and spectroscopy. Another notable figure was Erich Soechting (1910-1986), a German architect whose works included the design of several public buildings and residential complexes in Berlin.
One of the most prominent individuals bearing the Soechting name was Gerhard Soechting (1928-2014), a German politician and diplomat who served as the Mayor of Cologne from 1975 to 1987. He was also a member of the European Parliament and played a crucial role in fostering international relations during his career.
While the Soechting surname may not be among the most common in the world, it has left its mark throughout various periods of history, with individuals making significant contributions across various fields, from religion and academia to politics and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soechting
Among Census respondents with the surname Soechting, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Soechting 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 Soechting surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soechting
Soechting 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,374 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-8 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,508 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,374 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 8,508 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 Soechting 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 | #140,157 | #148,665 | -6.1% |
| Count | 119 | 111 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soechting bearers went from 119 to 111 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 8,508 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #148,665.
FAQ
Soechting surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soechting?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Soechting. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Soechting?
Soechting ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Soechting. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Soechting.
Has Soechting become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soechting went from 119 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Soechting?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soechting, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Soechting in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soechting appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Soechting (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 Soechting mean?
A German surname derived from a placename or from an occupation. 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 Soechting (0.04 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 many Americans have the surname Soechting?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.