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

Sontay, 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 Sontay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sontay in America

Sontay is the 45569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sontay surname appeared 469 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 Sontay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sontay 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 Sontay

The surname SONTAY originated in France during the medieval period, derived from the Old French term "sonte," meaning a small valley or hollow. This name likely referred to someone who lived in or near such a geographic feature. Variations in spelling included Sontai, Sontaye, and Sontaie.

Records from the 12th century mention the name SONTAY in various regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. One of the earliest known bearers was Jehan Sontay, a farmer mentioned in a land deed dated 1245 in the village of Rouen.

In the 13th century, the SONTAY surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls, a census of landowners and households conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that some SONTAY families had already established themselves in England by that time.

During the 14th century, the name SONTAY was documented in the Navarre region of northern Spain, likely brought there by French settlers. A notable bearer was Sancho de Sontay, a merchant and landowner born in Pamplona in 1367.

In the 15th century, the SONTAY name was found in various records across France, including tax rolls and municipal registers. One example is Guillaume Sontay, a vintner from Dijon, who was born in 1422 and died in 1491.

The 16th century saw the SONTAY name spread further across Europe, with records showing bearers in Germany, the Netherlands, and even as far as Sweden. A notable figure was Hans Sontay, a German clockmaker born in Augsburg in 1524, renowned for his intricate timepieces.

By the 17th century, the SONTAY surname had become well-established in various parts of Europe, with families bearing this name found in France, England, Spain, and Germany. One notable bearer was Pierre Sontay, a French explorer and cartographer who accompanied the expedition of Samuel de Champlain to Canada in 1608.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sontay

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

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

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

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