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

Sok, 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 Sok surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sok in America

Sok is the 7295th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sok surname appeared 4,569 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Sok.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sok 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 Sok

The surname Sok has its origins in the Netherlands, tracing back to the early 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "sok," which referred to a type of footwear or sock. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who wore distinctive socks or was a sock maker by trade.

In the late 15th century, the name Sok appeared in various records and historical documents in the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of North and South Holland. One of the earliest recorded examples is Johannes Sok, a merchant from Amsterdam who was mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1472.

The Sok surname has also been associated with several place names in the Netherlands, such as Sokkenburg, a small village near Utrecht. It is possible that the name originated from this location or that individuals from this area adopted the name Sok as a locational surname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sok name gained prominence in the Dutch Republic. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Pieter Sok (1542-1612), a renowned painter from Delft, and Jan Sok (1601-1669), a respected theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leiden.

As the Dutch established colonies and trading outposts around the world, the surname Sok spread to other regions. In the 18th century, Hendrik Sok (1723-1789) was a successful merchant and explorer who established trade routes between the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, the Sok surname found its way to South Africa, likely through Dutch settlers and immigrants. One notable figure was Johannes Sok (1812-1892), a prominent farmer and community leader in the Cape Colony.

Throughout history, the surname Sok has been recorded with various spellings, such as Socke, Socker, and Sokken, reflecting regional variations and language differences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained tied to its Dutch roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sok

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

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

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

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