Find out how popular the last name Solms is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Solms.

Solms, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Solms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Solms in America

Solms is the 122314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Solms surname appeared 141 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Solms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Solms to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Solms

The surname Solms is of Germanic origin, originating in the region of Solms-Braunfels in the state of Hesse, Germany. The name is derived from the Old High German word 'solm', meaning 'muddy' or 'marshy', referring to the terrain of the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus of the Abbey of Hersfeld, dated around 1140, where a nobleman named Reinhard von Solms is mentioned. The Solms family was a prominent noble house in the region, with their ancestral seat located in the town of Braunfels.

In the 13th century, the Solms family rose to prominence, with members holding important positions in the Holy Roman Empire. Heinrich I von Solms (c. 1225-1290) served as a military commander and played a significant role in the conflicts between the emperor and the papacy.

The name Solms is also associated with several place names in the region, such as Solms-Laubach, Solms-Hohensolms, and Solms-Lich. These names reflect the territorial holdings of different branches of the Solms family over the centuries.

During the 16th century, the Solms family embraced the Protestant Reformation, and several members played significant roles in the religious and political turmoil of the era. Reinhard von Solms (1491-1562) was a prominent supporter of Martin Luther and helped establish Protestantism in the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Solms include:

1. Johann Friedrich von Solms (1625-1696), a military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War.
2. Sophie Albertine von Solms-Laubach (1594-1646), who married Prince Christian I of Anhalt-Bernburg and played a role in the introduction of Calvinism to the principality.
3. Ferdinand von Solms-Laubach (1542-1623), a German nobleman and military commander who fought in the Eighty Years' War against Spain.
4. Friedrich Magnus I von Solms-Laubach (1521-1561), a German nobleman and Protestant military leader during the Schmalkaldic War.
5. Wilhelm von Solms-Braunfels (1598-1676), a German nobleman and military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War.

The name Solms has a long and illustrious history, reflecting the prominence of this noble family in the region of Hesse and their contributions to the political, military, and religious events of their time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Solms

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Solms.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Solms was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Solms has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Solms was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Solms, please contact us.

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