2000
#14,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,846
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Soni
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "suvarna" meaning "gold" or referring to someone from Sonipat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,122 Americans carry the last name Soni. That puts it at #6,152 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,987 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soni 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 Soni with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 55,987
Census rank
#6,152
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,339 bearers of the surname Soni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6152nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soni, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soni
The surname "Soni" is of Indian origin, specifically from the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 16th centuries.
The name "Soni" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Swarna," which means "gold." It is thought to have been an occupational surname initially used to refer to goldsmiths or those involved in the trade of gold and goldsmithing. The name's origins can be traced back to the Khurasani and Multani communities, which were known for their expertise in metalworking and jewelry-making.
In ancient Indian texts and records, such as the Ain-i-Akbari, which was a 16th-century administrative document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, there are references to the "Sonar" or "Soni" caste, which consisted of goldsmiths and jewelers. This suggests that the surname had already been established by that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "Soni" was Rai Sahib Diwan Soni, a prominent figure in the court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century. He served as the chief treasurer and was known for his expertise in financial matters.
Another notable figure was Pandit Sundardas Soni, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 18th century. He was a prolific writer and is remembered for his contributions to the field of Hindi literature.
In the 19th century, Lala Lakhpat Rai Soni was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Punjab. He established several educational institutions and was actively involved in social reform movements.
Pandit Lekhram Soni, born in 1887, was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and author from Rajasthan. He wrote extensively on Hindu philosophy and literature, and his works are still widely studied and referenced.
Lastly, Kavi Narayan Soni, born in 1914, was a celebrated Hindi poet and writer from Uttar Pradesh. He received numerous literary awards and accolades for his poetic works, which explored themes of social justice and human values.
These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the surname "Soni" throughout history, reflecting the name's longstanding presence and significance within Indian society and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soni
Among Census respondents with the surname Soni, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Soni 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 Soni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.4% · 4,879
- White3.2% · 173
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 111
- Two or more races2.1% · 110
- Black or African American0.6% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soni
Soni 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
#9,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,437
+1,591 bearers (+86.2%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 5,289 places
2020
#6,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,339
+1,902 bearers (+55.3%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Up 3,314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,755 | 1,846 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,466 | 3,437 | 1.17 | +1,591 bearers (+86.2%) | Up 5,289 places |
| 2020 | #6,152 | 5,339 | 1.79 | +1,902 bearers (+55.3%) | Up 3,314 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 Soni 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 | #9,466 | #6,152 | 35.0% |
| Count | 3,437 | 5,339 | 55.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.79 | 52.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soni bearers went from 3,437 to 5,339 (+55.3% change). The surname moved up 3,314 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,466 to #6,152.
FAQ
Soni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soni?
Name Census estimates that about 6,122 living Americans carry the surname Soni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,987 residents.
How common is Soni?
Soni ranks #6,152 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,339 people with the surname Soni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Soni.
Has Soni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soni went from 3,437 recorded bearers to 5,339. That is an increase of 1,902 (+55.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,466 to #6,152.
What does the Census say about the background of Soni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soni, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Soni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (4,879 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.4%), White (3.2%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Soni (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 Soni mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "suvarna" meaning "gold" or referring to someone from Sonipat. 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 Soni (1.79 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 Soni?
Want to know how many people are called Soni? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.