2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sombke
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Sombke. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sombke 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Sombke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sombke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sombke
The surname Sombke is of German origin, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Sombke," which was a nickname for someone with a sunny or cheerful disposition. The name was likely a descriptive nickname that eventually became a hereditary surname.
In the early days, the name was primarily found in the regions of northern Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Historical records show various spellings of the name, such as Sombke, Sombeke, and Sombken, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sombke can be found in the church records of St. Petri in Hamburg, where a certain Hans Sombke was mentioned in 1587. Another notable mention is from the town of Meldorf, where a merchant named Claus Sombke was recorded in 1612.
Some notable individuals bearing the Sombke surname include Johann Sombke (1620-1689), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Lübeck. His son, Hinrich Sombke (1652-1721), was a respected lawyer and held the position of Syndicus, or legal advisor, to the city council of Lübeck.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Sombke family settled in the town of Oldenburg, where they established themselves as successful traders and businessmen. One prominent member was Johann Friedrich Sombke (1756-1832), who served as the mayor of Oldenburg from 1798 to 1821.
Another noteworthy individual was Carl Sombke (1805-1872), a German composer and music teacher from Hamburg. He is best known for his contributions to church music and for his work as a choir director at several prominent churches in the city.
While the name Sombke is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be found in parts of northern Germany, particularly in the regions where it first appeared centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sombke
Among Census respondents with the surname Sombke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sombke 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 Sombke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sombke
Sombke 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-15 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,995 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 22,995 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Sombke 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sombke bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Sombke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sombke?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Sombke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Sombke?
Sombke ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Sombke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sombke.
Has Sombke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sombke went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Sombke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sombke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Sombke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sombke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Sombke (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 Sombke mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany. 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 Sombke (0.04 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 Sombke?
You can see how many people have the last name Sombke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.