2000
#9,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,201
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Songer
A surname derived from the Old English word "sang," meaning a singer or someone who sang.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,509 Americans carry the last name Songer. That puts it at #10,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,679 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Songer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Songer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,679
Census rank
#10,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,060 bearers of the surname Songer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Songer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Songer
The surname Songer is believed to have originated in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "songer," meaning "to dream" or "to ponder." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for being a deep thinker or for having vivid dreams.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Songer can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document lists a "Radulfus Songer" as a landowner in Normandy, France.
In the 14th century, records show a "Jean Songer" residing in the village of Montmorillon, located in the Vienne department of western France. This area was known for its vineyards, and it is possible that Jean Songer may have been involved in the wine-making industry.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the surname Songer was Philippe Songer (1505-1572), a French philosopher and writer. He authored several works on ethics and metaphysics, which gained him recognition among the intellectuals of his time.
In the 17th century, the name Songer appeared in England with the arrival of French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution. One such individual was Pierre Songer (1630-1698), who settled in London and worked as a silk weaver.
Another notable bearer of the Songer name was Jean-Baptiste Songer (1765-1831), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur for his bravery and leadership.
In the 19th century, the name Songer found its way to America, with records showing a family of Songers settling in Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. One of their descendants, William Songer (1845-1920), became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the city of Pittsburgh.
Throughout history, the surname Songer has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from philosophers and writers to military leaders and businessmen. While its origins can be traced back to France, the name has since spread across different regions and cultures, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and legacies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Songer
Among Census respondents with the surname Songer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Songer 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 Songer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 2,681
- Two or more races5.3% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 34
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Songer
Songer 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
#9,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,375
+174 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#10,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,060
-315 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 421 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,345 | 3,201 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,624 | 3,375 | 1.14 | +174 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #10,045 | 3,060 | 1.02 | -315 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 421 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 Songer 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 | #9,624 | #10,045 | -4.4% |
| Count | 3,375 | 3,060 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.02 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Songer bearers went from 3,375 to 3,060 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 421 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,624 to #10,045.
FAQ
Songer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Songer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,509 living Americans carry the surname Songer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,679 residents.
How common is Songer?
Songer ranks #10,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,060 people with the surname Songer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,509), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Songer.
Has Songer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Songer went from 3,375 recorded bearers to 3,060. That is a decrease of 315 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,624 to #10,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Songer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Songer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Songer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (2,681 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Songer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Songer (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 Songer mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "sang," meaning a singer or someone who sang. 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 Songer (1.02 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 Americans have the surname Songer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.