2000
#8,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,684
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Sok
A Hungarian surname derived from the word "szók," meaning "customary speech" or "habitual saying."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,723 Americans carry the last name Sok. That puts it at #6,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,891 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sok 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
5.7K
1 in 59,891
Census rank
#6,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,991 bearers of the surname Sok in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sok, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the late 15th century, the name Sok appeared in various records and historical documents in the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of North and South Holland.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sok
Among Census respondents with the surname Sok, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sok 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 Sok surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.5% · 4,417
- White5.4% · 268
- Two or more races3.8% · 189
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 92
- Black or African American0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sok
Sok 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
#7,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,569
+885 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 976 places
2020
#6,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,991
+422 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 760 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,271 | 3,684 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,295 | 4,569 | 1.55 | +885 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 976 places |
| 2020 | #6,535 | 4,991 | 1.67 | +422 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 760 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 Sok 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 | #7,295 | #6,535 | 10.4% |
| Count | 4,569 | 4,991 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.67 | 7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sok bearers went from 4,569 to 4,991 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 760 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,295 to #6,535.
FAQ
Sok surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sok?
Name Census estimates that about 5,723 living Americans carry the surname Sok. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,891 residents.
How common is Sok?
Sok ranks #6,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,991 people with the surname Sok. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,723), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sok.
Has Sok become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sok went from 4,569 recorded bearers to 4,991. That is an increase of 422 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,295 to #6,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Sok?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sok, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sok in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,417 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sok appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.5%), White (5.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Sok (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 Sok mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the word "szók," meaning "customary speech" or "habitual saying." 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 Sok (1.67 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 Sok?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Sok is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.