2000
#81,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Sojo
A Spanish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Sojo in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 385 Americans carry the last name Sojo. That puts it at #64,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 890,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sojo 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
385
1 in 890,271
Census rank
#64,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
336
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 336 bearers of the surname Sojo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sojo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sojo
The surname SOJO has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "sojo," which means "subject" or "subordinate." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to refer to someone who was under the authority of a lord or landowner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SOJO can be found in the town of Oliva, located in the province of Valencia. In the year 1567, a man named Juan SOJO was listed in the municipal records as a landowner and farmer.
Another early reference to the name SOJO appears in a document from the Archivo Histórico Nacional (National Historical Archive) in Madrid, dated 1591. This document mentions a man named Pedro SOJO, who was a merchant involved in the trade of silk and spices between Spain and the Americas.
During the 17th century, the SOJO surname began to spread to other regions of Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Castile. One notable figure from this period was Juana SOJO, a nun who lived in Seville and was known for her charitable works among the poor.
In the 18th century, the SOJO name made its way to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One prominent individual was Miguel SOJO, a lawyer and politician who served as a magistrate in Caracas, Venezuela, during the late 1700s.
As the SOJO surname continued to spread, it also evolved into various spellings and variations. For instance, in some parts of Spain and Latin America, the name was written as "Soxo" or "Soxho."
Among the notable figures with the SOJO surname in more recent history are:
1. Fernando SOJO (1896-1962), a Venezuelan poet and diplomat.
2. Luis SOJO (1923-2005), a Venezuelan baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1947 to 1958.
3. Enrique SOJO (1928-2022), a Mexican writer and journalist known for his work in children's literature.
4. Edmundo SOJO (1908-1991), a Venezuelan artist and sculptor who was part of the avant-garde movement in the 1920s.
5. Joaquín SOJO (1896-1925), a Venezuelan composer and conductor who helped establish the country's national symphony orchestra.
Overall, the surname SOJO has a rich history rooted in Spain, with ties to various regions and influential individuals throughout the centuries. Its evolution and spread across different parts of the world reflect the diverse cultural and historical tapestry woven by those who have carried this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sojo
Among Census respondents with the surname Sojo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sojo 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 Sojo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.7% · 308
- White4.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 3
- Two or more races0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sojo
Sojo 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
#75,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 255
+40 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 6,136 places
2020
#64,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+81 bearers (+31.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 11,523 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,700 | 215 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75,564 | 255 | 0.09 | +40 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 6,136 places |
| 2020 | #64,041 | 336 | 0.11 | +81 bearers (+31.8%) | Up 11,523 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 Sojo 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 | #75,564 | #64,041 | 15.2% |
| Count | 255 | 336 | 31.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.11 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sojo bearers went from 255 to 336 (+31.8% change). The surname moved up 11,523 positions in the national ranking, going from #75,564 to #64,041.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sojo
FAQ
Sojo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sojo?
Name Census estimates that about 385 living Americans carry the surname Sojo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 890,271 residents.
How common is Sojo?
Sojo ranks #64,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 336 people with the surname Sojo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Sojo.
Has Sojo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sojo went from 255 recorded bearers to 336. That is an increase of 81 (+31.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #75,564 to #64,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Sojo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sojo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sojo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sojo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.7%), White (4.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%). 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 Sojo (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 Sojo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Sojo in Spain. 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 Sojo (0.11 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 are called Sojo?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Sojo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.