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

Sofo, 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 Sofo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sofo in America

Sofo is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sofo surname appeared 164 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 Sofo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sofo 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 Sofo

The surname SOFO is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Abruzzo and Molise. It is thought to have derived from the Latin word "sophus," meaning "wise" or "learned," indicating that the name may have been initially given to individuals who were considered scholars or intellectuals.

In the 13th century, records show instances of the name appearing in various forms, such as "Soffo," "Soffio," and "Soffoni," reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the name. These early records can be found in historical documents like municipal archives and church records from towns and villages in central Italy.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name SOFO can be traced back to a document from the year 1278, which refers to a certain "Petrus Soffo" from the town of Lanciano in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. This document, preserved in the local archives, provides valuable insight into the antiquity of the name in this region.

Throughout the centuries, the name SOFO has been associated with notable individuals who have left their mark in various fields. In the 15th century, Giovanni Sofo (1420-1489) was a renowned scholar and humanist from the town of Vasto in Abruzzo, known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy.

Another prominent figure bearing the surname SOFO was Girolamo Sofo (1569-1640), a renowned painter from the city of Naples, whose works adorned numerous churches and palaces throughout Italy during the Baroque period.

In the 19th century, Luigi Sofo (1810-1877) was a distinguished lawyer and politician from the town of Termoli in Molise, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the early years of the unified Kingdom of Italy.

The SOFO surname has also been linked to various place names, such as the town of Sofocanaro in the province of Benevento, Campania, which may have derived its name from individuals bearing this surname in the area.

Other notable individuals with the SOFO surname include Antonio Sofo (1892-1968), an Italian military officer and politician who played a role in the Resistance movement during World War II, and Maria Sofo (1907-1988), a celebrated Italian actress and film star who appeared in numerous movies during the golden age of Italian cinema.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sofo

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

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

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

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