2000
#10,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Soltero
An occupational surname referring to an unmarried man or bachelor in Spanish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,823 Americans carry the last name Soltero. That puts it at #9,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soltero 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
3.8K
1 in 89,656
Census rank
#9,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,334 bearers of the surname Soltero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soltero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soltero
The surname "SOLTERO" originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "soltero," which means "bachelor" or "single man." The name was likely given to a man who remained unmarried or was the only son in a family.
In the early 13th century, the name Soltero appeared in various records and documents from the regions of Andalusia and Castile in southern and central Spain. These early mentions often referred to landowners, merchants, or individuals with some social standing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Soltero can be found in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Jurisdictions) from the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile (1312-1350). This document listed landholdings and properties, including those held by individuals with the surname Soltero.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Soltero became more widespread across Spain, particularly in the regions of Catalonia and Aragon. Notable individuals with this surname include Juan Soltero (c. 1470-1535), a prominent scholar and theologian from Seville, and María Soltero (1523-1588), a notable writer and poet from Valencia.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the name Soltero was carried to various parts of the Americas and other Spanish territories. In the 17th century, Pedro Soltero (1605-1671) was a renowned explorer and navigator who made significant contributions to mapping the Pacific coast of South America.
Another prominent figure was Agustín Soltero (1722-1798), a military leader and governor of the Spanish colony of Louisiana in the latter half of the 18th century. He played a crucial role in defending the colony against British and Native American threats during his tenure.
In the 19th century, the name Soltero gained prominence in Mexico, with figures such as Manuel Soltero (1812-1875), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a senator and played a significant role in the Reform War of the 1850s and 1860s.
Throughout its history, the surname Soltero has been associated with various professions, including scholars, writers, explorers, military leaders, and politicians. While the name originated in Spain, it has spread across the Spanish-speaking world and continues to be a prominent surname in many countries today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soltero
Among Census respondents with the surname Soltero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Soltero 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 Soltero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.8% · 3,093
- White6.3% · 210
- Two or more races0.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
- Black or African American0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soltero
Soltero 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
#9,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,450
+788 bearers (+29.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 1,542 places
2020
#9,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,334
-116 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,969 | 2,662 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,427 | 3,450 | 1.17 | +788 bearers (+29.6%) | Up 1,542 places |
| 2020 | #9,360 | 3,334 | 1.12 | -116 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 67 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 Soltero 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 | #9,427 | #9,360 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,450 | 3,334 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.12 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soltero bearers went from 3,450 to 3,334 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,427 to #9,360.
FAQ
Soltero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soltero?
Name Census estimates that about 3,823 living Americans carry the surname Soltero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,656 residents.
How common is Soltero?
Soltero ranks #9,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,334 people with the surname Soltero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,823), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Soltero.
Has Soltero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soltero went from 3,450 recorded bearers to 3,334. That is a decrease of 116 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,427 to #9,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Soltero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soltero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Soltero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (3,093 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soltero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.8%), White (6.3%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Soltero (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 Soltero mean?
An occupational surname referring to an unmarried man or bachelor in Spanish. 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 Soltero (1.12 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 surname Soltero?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.