2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sokira
A surname possibly of Ukrainian origin meaning "double-edged ax."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Sokira. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sokira 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Sokira in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokira, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sokira
The surname Sokira originated in Poland and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Polish word "sokir," which means "ax" or "hatchet." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a woodcutter or logger.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sokira name appears in a document from the city of Krakow, dated 1287. This document mentions a person named Jan Sokira, who was a landowner in the region. The name is also found in several other medieval records and manuscripts from various parts of Poland.
In the 15th century, the Sokira name can be found in the town of Sokołów Małopolski, which was once known as Sokirów. This town's name is believed to be related to the Sokira surname, suggesting that the family may have had ties to this area.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sokira name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Lesser Poland and Mazovia. Some notable individuals with this surname from these times include:
1. Mikołaj Sokira (1520-1592), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Livonian War.
2. Andrzej Sokira (1568-1639), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who was a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
3. Zofia Sokira (1602-1678), a Polish noblewoman and landowner who was known for her philanthropy and support of local churches.
In the 18th century, the Sokira name spread to other parts of Poland, as well as to neighboring countries like Ukraine and Belarus. One noteworthy figure from this period was:
4. Franciszek Sokira (1732-1805), a Polish architect and engineer who designed several churches and public buildings in Warsaw.
During the 19th century, the Sokira surname continued to be found across various regions of Poland. A prominent individual with this name was:
5. Jan Sokira (1820-1892), a Polish writer and journalist who was active in the Polish independence movement and wrote for several influential newspapers of the time.
While the Sokira name has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, the majority of historical records and notable individuals associated with this surname can be traced back to its Polish origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sokira
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokira, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Sokira 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 Sokira surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 106
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sokira
Sokira 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,521 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-15 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,035 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 1,521 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 14,035 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 Sokira 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 | #138,304 | #152,339 | -10.1% |
| Count | 121 | 106 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sokira bearers went from 121 to 106 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 14,035 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #152,339.
FAQ
Sokira surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sokira?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Sokira. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Sokira?
Sokira ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Sokira. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Sokira.
Has Sokira become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sokira went from 121 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Sokira?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokira, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Sokira in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sokira appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Sokira (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 Sokira mean?
A surname possibly of Ukrainian origin meaning "double-edged ax." 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 Sokira (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 common is the surname Sokira?
Find out how common the surname Sokira is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.