2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Sono
A Japanese surname potentially originating from the word "sono" meaning garden, village, or village shrine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Sono. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sono 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Sono in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sono, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 39.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.8%) and White (15.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sono
The surname SONO originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "suono," meaning "sound" or "noise." It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who were known for their loud voices or occupations involving sound, such as bell ringers or town criers.
The SONO surname is particularly prevalent in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where it is believed to have originated. In ancient documents from these areas, variations of the spelling, such as "Suono" and "Soni," can be found. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Codice Diplomatico Padovano, a collection of historical documents from the city of Padua, which mentions a "Bartolomeo Sono" in the year 1283.
During the Renaissance period, the SONO surname gained prominence in the city of Venice, where several notable individuals bearing this name made their mark. One such figure was Andrea Sono, a renowned architect and sculptor who lived from 1460 to 1528. He is credited with designing several notable buildings in Venice, including the Church of San Giobbe.
Another notable SONO was Girolamo Sono, a 16th-century humanist and scholar who was born in Verona in 1510 and passed away in 1580. He was known for his writings on classical literature and his translations of ancient Greek texts.
In the 17th century, the SONO family established themselves as prominent merchants and bankers in the city of Milan. One of the most influential members of this family was Cesare Sono, a wealthy banker who lived from 1625 to 1691. He was instrumental in financing several major construction projects in the city, including the Baroque-style Church of San Fedele.
Another individual of note was Lucrezia Sono, a 17th-century painter from Venice who gained recognition for her portraiture and religious works. She lived from 1635 to 1708 and was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve significant acclaim.
Throughout the centuries, the SONO surname has continued to be present in various parts of Italy, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in fields such as art, literature, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sono
Among Census respondents with the surname Sono, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 39.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.8%) and White (15.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sono 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 Sono surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander39.6% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino19.8% · 20
- White15.8% · 16
- Black or African American14.9% · 15
- Two or more races9.9% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sono
Sono appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 5,705 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 Sono 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 | #160,975 | #155,270 | 3.5% |
| Count | 100 | 101 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sono bearers went from 100 to 101 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 5,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,270.
FAQ
Sono surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sono?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Sono. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Sono?
Sono ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Sono. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sono.
Has Sono become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sono went from 100 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Sono?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sono, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 39.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.8%) and White (15.8%). 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 Sono in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.6% (40 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sono appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (39.6%), Hispanic (19.8%), White (15.8%). 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 Sono (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 Sono mean?
A Japanese surname potentially originating from the word "sono" meaning garden, village, or village shrine. 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 Sono (0.03 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 Sono?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Sono at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.