2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sokola
A surname derived from the Polish word for falcon or hawk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Sokola. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sokola 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Sokola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokola, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sokola
The surname Sokola is of Slavic origin, specifically Polish and Russian. It can be traced back to the 16th century in these regions. The name is derived from the Slavic word "sokol," which means "falcon" or "hawk." It likely originated as a nickname for a person who was known for their sharp vision, keen hunting skills, or a falcon-like appearance.
In Poland, the name Sokola was first recorded in the town of Sokola, which was located in the historic region of Podlasie. This town's name, in turn, was derived from the Slavic word "sokol," indicating a connection between the place name and the surname.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sokola can be found in the Polish Armorial Compendium, a collection of noble family coats of arms and histories compiled in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Sokola family was included in this compendium, suggesting their noble status at the time.
In Russia, the surname Sokola can be found in various historical records, including the census records of the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable bearer of this name was Ivan Sokola, a Russian explorer and navigator who lived in the late 17th century. He is known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his contributions to mapping the northern coastline of Russia.
Another prominent individual with the surname Sokola was Mikhail Sokola, a Russian artist who lived in the 19th century (1804-1879). He was renowned for his landscape paintings and depictions of Russian rural life.
In the 20th century, a notable figure with the surname Sokola was Vladislav Sokola (1920-1997), a Czech sculptor and artist known for his abstract and cubist works. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces and galleries throughout the Czech Republic.
Additionally, the name Sokola has been associated with various places and geographical features. For instance, there is a village called Sokola in the Kaluga region of Russia, and a river called Sokola in the Arkhangelsk region of the same country.
Overall, the surname Sokola has a rich history rooted in Slavic cultures, with connections to noble families, explorers, artists, and geographical locations. Its origins can be traced back to the 16th century, and it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds across Eastern Europe and Russia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sokola
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokola, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sokola 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 Sokola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sokola
Sokola 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,528 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-11 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 5,528 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 7,335 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 Sokola 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 | #148,347 | #155,682 | -4.9% |
| Count | 111 | 100 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sokola bearers went from 111 to 100 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 7,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #155,682.
FAQ
Sokola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sokola?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Sokola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Sokola?
Sokola ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Sokola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sokola.
Has Sokola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sokola went from 111 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Sokola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokola, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Sokola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sokola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Hispanic (3.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Sokola (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 Sokola mean?
A surname derived from the Polish word for falcon or hawk. 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 Sokola (0.03 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 Sokola?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Sokola, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.