2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Soito
Of Finnish or Estonian origin, an occupational surname for a trailblazer or pathfinder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Soito. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soito 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Soito in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soito, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Black (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soito
The surname SOITO has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions near the Alps. It likely emerged during the medieval period, sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is believed to be derived from an old Italian word "soito," which referred to a sunny or well-exposed location, often a hillside or slope. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the surname may have lived in such a sunny location or may have hailed from a place with a name containing this root word.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SOITO can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. Here, the name appears as "Soito" in reference to a landowner or nobleman. Unfortunately, not much is known about this individual beyond their name.
In the 14th century, records from the town of Bergamo in northern Italy mention a prominent family with the surname SOITO. One notable member was Giacomo SOITO, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived between 1320 and 1385. His name appears in various contracts and legal documents from that time period.
Another historical figure with the surname SOITO was Andrea SOITO, a poet and scholar from Verona who lived in the late 15th century. Born in 1452, Andrea SOITO was known for his works in vernacular poetry and his contributions to the literary circles of his time. He passed away in 1506.
During the Renaissance period, the name SOITO also gained some prominence in the arts. Lorenzo SOITO, born in 1480 in Milan, was a renowned painter and fresco artist. His works can still be found adorning churches and palaces in northern Italy, and he is credited with influencing the Lombard school of painting. Lorenzo SOITO died in 1554.
In the 16th century, the SOITO surname was also associated with a noble family from the town of Brescia. One member, Girolamo SOITO, born in 1528, was a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts. He commissioned several artworks and buildings that still bear his family's name in Brescia.
While the surname SOITO may have originated in northern Italy, over time, it has spread to other regions and even other countries through migration and travel. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the sunny slopes and hillsides of the Italian Alps, where the name likely first emerged centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soito
Among Census respondents with the surname Soito, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Black (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Soito 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 Soito surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.6% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino10.5% · 12
- Black or African American6.1% · 7
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soito
Soito 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,358 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 15,358 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,900 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 Soito 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 | #149,395 | #146,495 | 1.9% |
| Count | 110 | 114 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soito bearers went from 110 to 114 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #146,495.
FAQ
Soito surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soito?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Soito. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Soito?
Soito ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Soito. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Soito.
Has Soito become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soito went from 110 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Soito?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soito, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Black (6.1%). 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 Soito in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.6% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soito appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.6%), Hispanic (10.5%), Black (6.1%). 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 Soito (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 Soito mean?
Of Finnish or Estonian origin, an occupational surname for a trailblazer or pathfinder. 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 Soito (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 people share the surname Soito?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.