2000
#5,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,719
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.12
Rare Last name
Sonnier
A French occupational surname referring to a reaper or harvester of grain or hay.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,698 Americans carry the last name Sonnier. That puts it at #5,715 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sonnier 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
6.7K
1 in 51,173
Census rank
#5,715
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,841 bearers of the surname Sonnier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5715th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sonnier, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sonnier
The surname SONNIER is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "sonier," which means "bell-ringer" or "sexton." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France during the Middle Ages.
The earliest known record of the SONNIER surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various medieval records and documents from the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is possible that the name was initially associated with individuals who worked as bell-ringers or caretakers in local churches or monasteries.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the SONNIER surname gained prominence in several villages and towns across northern France, particularly in the areas around Rouen, Dieppe, and Caen. Some variations in spelling, such as "Sonnier," "Sonnyer," and "Sonier," were also recorded during this time.
One notable historical reference to the SONNIER name can be found in the "Livre des Métiers" (Book of Trades), a 13th-century manuscript that documented various professions and trades in Paris. This suggests that the SONNIER surname may have been associated with the bell-ringing trade in the city during that period.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the SONNIER surname. One of the earliest recorded instances is Jean SONNIER, a French architect born in 1532 in Rouen, who was known for his work on several churches and cathedrals in the region.
Another prominent figure was Pierre SONNIER (1672-1741), a French explorer and trader who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts of Louisiana. He was among the first settlers in the region and is credited with establishing trade routes and alliances with Native American tribes.
In the 19th century, Louis SONNIER (1824-1892) was a prominent French writer and poet from Paris. His works, which often explored themes of love and nature, earned him recognition and acclaim during his lifetime.
The SONNIER surname also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. For example, Alexandre SONNIER (1838-1912) was a French-Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Quebec Legislative Assembly in the late 19th century.
Finally, one of the most well-known individuals with the SONNIER surname was Henri SONNIER (1901-1978), a French artist and sculptor from Bordeaux. His abstract and avant-garde works were widely celebrated and exhibited in galleries throughout Europe and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sonnier
Among Census respondents with the surname Sonnier, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sonnier 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 Sonnier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.0% · 4,205
- Black or African American20.4% · 1,189
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 210
- Two or more races3.4% · 198
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sonnier
Sonnier 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
#5,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,068
+349 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 142 places
2020
#5,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,841
-227 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.95
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,573 | 5,719 | 2.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,715 | 6,068 | 2.06 | +349 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 142 places |
| 2020 | #5,715 | 5,841 | 1.95 | -227 bearers (-3.7%) | No rank change |
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 Sonnier 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 | #5,715 | #5,715 | 0.0% |
| Count | 6,068 | 5,841 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.06 | 1.95 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sonnier bearers went from 6,068 to 5,841 (-3.7% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #5,715.
FAQ
Sonnier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sonnier?
Name Census estimates that about 6,698 living Americans carry the surname Sonnier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,173 residents.
How common is Sonnier?
Sonnier ranks #5,715 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.95 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 5,841 people with the surname Sonnier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,698), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.95 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 Sonnier.
Has Sonnier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sonnier went from 6,068 recorded bearers to 5,841. That is a decrease of 227 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it stayed at #5,715.
What does the Census say about the background of Sonnier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sonnier, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Sonnier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.0% (4,205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sonnier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.0%), Black (20.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Sonnier (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 Sonnier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a reaper or harvester of grain or hay. 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 Sonnier (1.95 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 have the surname Sonnier?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.