2010
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sokoli
A surname derived from the Albanian word for "falcon" or "hawk".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 226 Americans carry the last name Sokoli. That puts it at #98,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,516,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sokoli 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 Sokoli with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
226
1 in 1,516,612
Census rank
#98,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
197
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 197 bearers of the surname Sokoli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sokoli
The surname Sokoli has its origins in Albania, dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Albanian word "sokol," which means "falcon." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were skilled falconers or had a close association with falcons.
The earliest recorded instances of the Sokoli surname can be found in historical documents from the medieval period in Albania. One notable example is Gjergj Sokoli, a prominent Albanian nobleman who lived in the 15th century and played a significant role in the resistance against the Ottoman Empire.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sokoli surname spread across the Balkans region, particularly in areas with significant Albanian populations. In the 18th century, records show individuals bearing the Sokoli surname in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, including present-day Greece and Macedonia.
One of the most famous bearers of the Sokoli surname was Naim Frashëri, an Albanian writer, philosopher, and prominent figure in the Albanian National Renaissance movement. He was born in 1846 in the village of Frashër, located in modern-day Albania, and played a crucial role in promoting Albanian culture and literature.
Another notable figure was Mehmet Sokoli, an Albanian military commander who served in the Ottoman army during the 16th century. He was known for his bravery and leadership in various military campaigns, including the Ottoman-Safavid War of 1603-1618.
In the 19th century, the Sokoli surname gained prominence in the United States, as Albanian immigrants began settling in various parts of the country. One such individual was Ismail Sokoli, an Albanian-American businessman who established a successful import-export company in New York City in the early 20th century.
The Sokoli surname can also be found in other parts of the world, including Italy, where it is sometimes spelled as "Soccoli" or "Soccola." This variation likely emerged due to the influence of Italian phonetics on the Albanian surname.
Throughout history, the Sokoli surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including noblemen, military leaders, writers, and business entrepreneurs. While the name has its roots in Albania, it has transcended geographical boundaries and become a part of various cultural and linguistic traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sokoli
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sokoli 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 Sokoli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 193
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sokoli
Sokoli appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#98,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
+63 bearers (+47.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 28,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #98,501 | 197 | 0.07 | +63 bearers (+47.0%) | Up 28,993 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 Sokoli 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 | #127,494 | #98,501 | 22.7% |
| Count | 134 | 197 | 47.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 31.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sokoli bearers went from 134 to 197 (+47.0% change). The surname moved up 28,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #98,501.
FAQ
Sokoli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sokoli?
Name Census estimates that about 226 living Americans carry the surname Sokoli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,516,612 residents.
How common is Sokoli?
Sokoli ranks #98,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 197 people with the surname Sokoli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (226), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Sokoli.
Has Sokoli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sokoli went from 134 recorded bearers to 197. That is an increase of 63 (+47.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #127,494 to #98,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Sokoli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Sokoli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (193 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sokoli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (1.5%), Black (0.5%). 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 Sokoli (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 Sokoli mean?
A surname derived from the Albanian 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 Sokoli (0.07 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 have the last name Sokoli?
You can see how many people have the last name Sokoli on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.