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

Sonnie, 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 Sonnie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sonnie in America

Sonnie is the 82044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sonnie surname appeared 230 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 Sonnie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sonnie 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 Sonnie

The surname Sonnie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "sòn," meaning "prosperity" or "good luck." The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who were considered fortunate or prosperous.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sonnie can be found in the Scottish parish records of Stirlingshire in the year 1596, where a John Sonnie was mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the late 16th century.

Another early reference to the name Sonnie appears in the Annals of Dunfermline, a historical record of the Scottish town of Dunfermline, where a certain Robert Sonnie was mentioned in the year 1634. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of Scotland by the 17th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sonnie surname was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Renfrewshire. The name was closely associated with the Renfrewshire town of Kilbarchan, which was once known as Kilbarchan-Sonnie due to the presence of Sonnie families in the area.

One notable bearer of the Sonnie surname was John Sonnie, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the late 17th century. He acquired significant wealth through his business ventures and owned estates in the Scottish Borders region.

Another prominent figure with the surname Sonnie was William Sonnie, a Scottish philosopher and author who was born in Ayrshire in 1732 and died in 1798. He wrote several influential works on moral philosophy and ethics, and was well-regarded in academic circles of his time.

In the 19th century, the Sonnie surname began to spread beyond Scotland as individuals migrated to other parts of the British Isles and overseas. One such individual was James Sonnie, a Scottish-born businessman who settled in London, England, in the 1820s and established a successful import-export company.

The Sonnie name also found its way to North America, with records showing a family of Sonnies settling in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the 1860s. One member of this family, Robert Sonnie, became a prominent figure in the local community and served as a member of the provincial legislature.

While the Sonnie surname is still found in Scotland today, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, including England, Canada, and the United States, reflecting the migration patterns of Scottish individuals over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sonnie

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

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

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

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