2000
#19,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,322
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Sood
A surname indicating an ethnic Hindu Khatri community originating from the Punjab region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,245 Americans carry the last name Sood. That puts it at #10,766 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sood 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 105,625
Census rank
#10,766
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,830 bearers of the surname Sood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10766th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sood, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sood
The surname "SOOD" has its origins in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "sudha," meaning "nectar" or "ambrosia." This name was likely given to individuals who were thought to possess qualities or abilities akin to the divine nectar, such as wisdom, purity, or spiritual enlightenment.
The earliest known reference to the surname "SOOD" can be found in the Mughal Empire's administrative records from the 16th century, where it was associated with land-owning families in the Punjab region. During this period, the spelling of the name varied, with variations such as "Soodh," "Sude," and "Soodha" being common.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "SOOD" was Bhai Mati Das Sood, a prominent Sikh scholar and preacher who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is revered for his contributions to the propagation of Sikhism and his unwavering devotion to the Sikh Gurus.
In the 18th century, the Sood family emerged as a prominent landowning and influential clan in the Punjab region. They played a significant role in the political and social fabric of the region during the tumultuous period of the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of regional powers.
Another notable figure bearing the surname "SOOD" was Raja Ajit Singh Sood, a renowned military commander and ruler of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore in the early 19th century. He is remembered for his bravery and strategic acumen in battles against the Afghan and British forces.
During the British colonial period in India, the Sood family continued to maintain its influential status, with many members serving in prominent positions within the colonial administration and contributing to the fields of education, literature, and social reform.
One such individual was Sir Sobha Singh Sood, a distinguished civil servant and administrator who served as the Governor of Sindh Province in the early 20th century. He was known for his efforts in promoting education and social welfare initiatives.
In the realm of literature, Khushwant Singh Sood, better known as Khushwant Singh, was a renowned Indian writer, journalist, and satirist. Born in 1915, he gained international acclaim for his novels, short stories, and his incisive commentary on Indian society and politics.
The surname "SOOD" has also been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, such as science, medicine, business, and the arts, further enriching its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sood
Among Census respondents with the surname Sood, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sood 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 Sood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.9% · 2,373
- White8.7% · 247
- Two or more races4.9% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sood
Sood 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
#15,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,846
+524 bearers (+39.6%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 3,264 places
2020
#10,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,830
+984 bearers (+53.3%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 5,018 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,048 | 1,322 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,784 | 1,846 | 0.63 | +524 bearers (+39.6%) | Up 3,264 places |
| 2020 | #10,766 | 2,830 | 0.95 | +984 bearers (+53.3%) | Up 5,018 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 Sood 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 | #15,784 | #10,766 | 31.8% |
| Count | 1,846 | 2,830 | 53.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.95 | 50.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sood bearers went from 1,846 to 2,830 (+53.3% change). The surname moved up 5,018 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,784 to #10,766.
FAQ
Sood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sood?
Name Census estimates that about 3,245 living Americans carry the surname Sood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,625 residents.
How common is Sood?
Sood ranks #10,766 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,830 people with the surname Sood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sood.
Has Sood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sood went from 1,846 recorded bearers to 2,830. That is an increase of 984 (+53.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,784 to #10,766.
What does the Census say about the background of Sood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sood, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Sood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (2,373 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.9%), White (8.7%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Sood (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 Sood mean?
A surname indicating an ethnic Hindu Khatri community originating from the Punjab region. 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 Sood (0.95 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 common is the surname Sood?
Want to know how common the surname Sood is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.