2000
#5,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,517
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.05
Rare Last name
Sokol
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "falcon," likely referring to a falconer or someone with characteristics associated with falcons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,121 Americans carry the last name Sokol. That puts it at #6,154 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,996 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sokol 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sokol with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 55,996
Census rank
#6,154
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,338 bearers of the surname Sokol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6154th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokol, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sokol
The surname Sokol has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Russia. It is derived from the Slavic word "sokol," which means "falcon" or "hawk." The name likely emerged during the medieval period, as it was common for people to take their surnames from nature, animals, or occupations.
In Poland, the name Sokol can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various historical records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Teutonic Knights' chronicles from the 1280s, where a knight named Sokol is mentioned.
In Russia, the name Sokol has a long history as well. It is believed to have originated among the nobility and landed gentry, who often used bird names as their surnames. The earliest known reference to the name Sokol in Russia dates back to the 14th century, when it was recorded in the Veliky Novgorod chronicles.
Over the centuries, the name Sokol has been associated with several notable figures in various fields. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Mikhail Sokol, a Russian military leader and statesman who lived in the 17th century (1601-1665). He played a significant role in the Smolensk War against Poland and served as a voivode (governor) of several Russian territories.
Another prominent individual with the surname Sokol was Jan Sokol (1936-2021), a Czech philosopher and politician who served as the first president of the post-communist Czech Republic from 1989 to 1992.
In the field of sports, Petr Sokol (born 1965) is a Czech former ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams, including the Detroit Red Wings and the New Jersey Devils.
The name Sokol has also been associated with various place names throughout Eastern Europe. For example, there are villages and towns named Sokol in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine, which may have derived their names from the surname or vice versa.
Throughout its history, the surname Sokol has undergone various spelling variations, such as Sokół in Polish and Соколов (Sokolov) in Russian. These variations reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where the name has been prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sokol
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokol, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sokol 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 Sokol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 4,952
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 195
- Two or more races2.5% · 135
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 41
- Black or African American0.2% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sokol
Sokol 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
#6,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,559
+42 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Down 407 places
2020
#6,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,338
-221 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Up 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,751 | 5,517 | 2.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,158 | 5,559 | 1.88 | +42 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 407 places |
| 2020 | #6,154 | 5,338 | 1.79 | -221 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 4 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 Sokol 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 | #6,158 | #6,154 | 0.1% |
| Count | 5,559 | 5,338 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.88 | 1.79 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sokol bearers went from 5,559 to 5,338 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,158 to #6,154.
FAQ
Sokol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sokol?
Name Census estimates that about 6,121 living Americans carry the surname Sokol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,996 residents.
How common is Sokol?
Sokol ranks #6,154 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 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 5,338 people with the surname Sokol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,121), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 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 Sokol.
Has Sokol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sokol went from 5,559 recorded bearers to 5,338. That is a decrease of 221 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,158 to #6,154.
What does the Census say about the background of Sokol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokol, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sokol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (4,952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sokol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Sokol (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 Sokol mean?
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "falcon," likely referring to a falconer or someone with characteristics associated with falcons. 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 Sokol (1.79 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 Sokol?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.