2000
#17,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,498
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Som
A surname believed to derive from the Old English word "sum" meaning someone or that one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,462 Americans carry the last name Som. That puts it at #13,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,218 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Som 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
2.5K
1 in 139,218
Census rank
#13,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,147 bearers of the surname Som in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Som, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Som
The surname "SOM" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "som," which means "together" or "united." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to a group or community of people who lived in close proximity to one another.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SOM" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Godric Som residing in the county of Somerset.
During the 13th century, the name "SOM" appeared in various legal documents and official records, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Hundred Rolls. Some notable individuals bearing this surname from this era include Robert Som, a merchant from London who was documented in 1292, and William Som, a landowner in Gloucestershire mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
The name "SOM" has also been linked to various place names in England, particularly those derived from the Old English word "sum," meaning "marshy ground" or "swamp." For example, the village of Somerton in Somerset and the town of Somersham in Cambridgeshire are believed to have influenced the development of the surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "SOM." One of the earliest was John Som (c. 1370 - 1437), an English prelate who served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1435 until his death. Another prominent figure was Robert Som (c. 1495 - 1565), a English Protestant reformer and one of the original translators of the Bishops' Bible.
In the realm of literature, the surname "SOM" is associated with the English poet and playwright John Som (c. 1540 - 1610), best known for his work "The Tragedy of Philander." Additionally, Sir William Som (1589 - 1676) was a renowned English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the English Civil War.
During the 17th century, the name "SOM" gained recognition in the field of architecture through the works of John Som (1628 - 1700), a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Som
Among Census respondents with the surname Som, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Som 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 Som surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.5% · 1,793
- White6.1% · 130
- Two or more races4.4% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 85
- Black or African American2.0% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Som
Som 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
#15,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,910
+412 bearers (+27.5%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 2,022 places
2020
#13,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,147
+237 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 1,820 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,377 | 1,498 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,355 | 1,910 | 0.65 | +412 bearers (+27.5%) | Up 2,022 places |
| 2020 | #13,535 | 2,147 | 0.72 | +237 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 1,820 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 Som 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 | #15,355 | #13,535 | 11.9% |
| Count | 1,910 | 2,147 | 12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.72 | 10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Som bearers went from 1,910 to 2,147 (+12.4% change). The surname moved up 1,820 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,355 to #13,535.
FAQ
Som surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Som?
Name Census estimates that about 2,462 living Americans carry the surname Som. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,218 residents.
How common is Som?
Som ranks #13,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,147 people with the surname Som. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Som.
Has Som become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Som went from 1,910 recorded bearers to 2,147. That is an increase of 237 (+12.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,355 to #13,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Som?
Among Census respondents with the surname Som, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Som in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (1,793 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Som appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.5%), White (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Som (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 Som mean?
A surname believed to derive from the Old English word "sum" meaning someone or that one. 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 Som (0.72 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 are called Som?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Som at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.