2000
#108,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Soehngen
From a place name referring to a low-lying meadowland or water meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Soehngen. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soehngen 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Soehngen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soehngen, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soehngen
The surname Soehngen is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of central Europe, likely in the late medieval period or the Renaissance era. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Sohn," meaning "son," and the suffix "-gen," which indicates a place of origin or belonging. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who hailed from a specific location associated with the word "Sohn."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Soehngen can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, where a merchant named Heinrich Soehngen is mentioned in a document dating back to the 15th century. This document details a business transaction involving the purchase of textiles, shedding light on the economic activities of individuals bearing this name during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name Soehngen appears in the parish records of several villages in the region of Rhineland, indicating that families with this surname had established themselves in various rural communities. One notable example is the village of Kirchberg, where a farmer named Johannes Soehngen is listed as a landowner in the year 1567.
During the 17th century, the Soehngen name gained prominence in the city of Frankfurt, where a family of merchants and bankers bearing this surname played a significant role in the local economy. One of the most notable figures from this period was Wilhelm Soehngen (1612-1682), a successful merchant who established trade connections throughout Europe and amassed considerable wealth.
In the 18th century, the Soehngen name surfaced in the annals of the German military, with several individuals serving as officers in various regiments. One such figure was Karl Soehngen (1745-1823), a decorated cavalry officer who participated in several campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars.
As the 19th century dawned, the Soehngen name gained recognition in the field of academia. Johann Soehngen (1811-1878), a renowned linguist and philologist, made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages and authored several influential works on the subject.
Throughout its history, the surname Soehngen has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from merchants and farmers to military officers and scholars. While the exact origins of the name remain shrouded in the mists of time, its enduring presence across several centuries serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of German cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soehngen
Among Census respondents with the surname Soehngen, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Soehngen 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 Soehngen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 121
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soehngen
Soehngen 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-29 bearers (-19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,593 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,982 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,734 | 151 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-19.2%) | Down 28,593 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,982 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 Soehngen 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 | #137,327 | #141,309 | -2.9% |
| Count | 122 | 121 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soehngen bearers went from 122 to 121 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,982 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #141,309.
FAQ
Soehngen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soehngen?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Soehngen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Soehngen?
Soehngen ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Soehngen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Soehngen.
Has Soehngen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soehngen went from 122 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Soehngen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soehngen, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Soehngen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soehngen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Soehngen (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 Soehngen mean?
From a place name referring to a low-lying meadowland or water meadow. 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 Soehngen (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 common is the surname Soehngen?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Soehngen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.