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

Sonner, 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 Sonner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sonner in America

Sonner is the 26949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sonner surname appeared 900 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 Sonner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sonner 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 Sonner

The surname Sonner is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, during the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Sonne," meaning "sun," which may have been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a sunny disposition or a bright, cheerful demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Sonner can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this record, a person named "Conradus Sonner" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Elterlein, near the city of Chemnitz.

Another early reference to the Sonner name can be found in the Bavarian State Archives, where a "Johannes Sonner" is listed as a resident of the city of Augsburg in the year 1427. This document suggests that the name was also present in the southern German region of Bavaria during the 15th century.

A notable individual bearing the Sonner surname was Johann Sonner, a German composer and organist who lived from 1571 to 1635. He served as the court organist for the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and was renowned for his compositions for organ and other instrumental works.

In the 18th century, a man named Johann Friedrich Sonner (1714-1789) gained recognition as a mathematician and astronomer. He was born in the town of Plauen, Saxony, and served as a professor at the University of Leipzig, contributing to the fields of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

Another prominent figure with the Sonner surname was Karl Sonner (1839-1913), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of modern urban planning principles. He was involved in the design and construction of several notable buildings and urban areas in cities such as Berlin and Leipzig.

Throughout its history, the Sonner surname has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations. For instance, the village of Sonnern, located in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, may have derived its name from the Sonner surname or vice versa, suggesting a potential connection between the name and a particular region or settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sonner

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

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

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

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