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

Soman, 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 Soman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Soman in America

Soman is the 44193rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Soman surname appeared 487 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 Soman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Soman 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 Soman

The surname Soman has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "soma," which referred to an ancient Vedic ritual drink made from plant extracts. The name likely originated among Brahmin families involved in conducting these sacred ceremonies.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Soman can be found in historical documents from the Maratha Empire, which ruled a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name appears in administrative records and land ownership documents from this period, indicating its presence among influential families.

In the 19th century, the Soman name gained prominence through the scholarly works of Govind Soman, a renowned Marathi poet and writer born in 1825. His literary contributions and social activism played a significant role in shaping the cultural landscape of Maharashtra during that time.

Another notable figure bearing the Soman surname was Hari Vishnu Soman, a pioneering Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1846 to 1909. His groundbreaking work on the calculation of planetary positions and the development of algorithms for astronomical calculations earned him widespread recognition.

The Soman name also has connections to the Indian freedom struggle against British colonial rule. Anant Soman, born in 1890, was a prominent social reformer and independence activist who played a key role in the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.

In more recent history, the Soman surname has been associated with the field of chemistry. Ranajit Soman, born in 1944, is a distinguished Indian chemist known for his contributions to the study of organometallic compounds and their applications in catalysis.

It is worth noting that variations of the spelling, such as "Somani" and "Somaiah," have also been recorded throughout history, reflecting regional linguistic differences and adaptations of the name over time.

While the Soman surname is primarily concentrated in India, particularly in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Soman

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

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 Soman 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 Soman 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 Soman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!