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

Sophus, 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 Sophus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sophus in America

Sophus is the 120901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sophus surname appeared 143 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 Sophus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sophus 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 Sophus

The surname "SOPHUS" is of Danish origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Greek word "sophos," meaning "wise" or "learned." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals who demonstrated scholarly or philosophical leanings in their communities.

In the medieval period, the name "SOPHUS" first appeared in Danish records and manuscripts, often associated with individuals from academic or ecclesiastical backgrounds. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in a 14th-century Danish chronicle, where a scholar named Sophus Johannsen is mentioned.

The name gained further prominence during the Renaissance, when the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom was highly valued. Several notable figures bore the surname "SOPHUS," including the Danish philosopher and mathematician Sophus Lie (1842-1899), whose groundbreaking work in the field of continuous transformation groups laid the foundation for modern differential geometry.

Another distinguished bearer of this name was Sophus Tromholt (1851-1896), a Norwegian artist and scientist known for his pioneering work in the study of auroras. His observations and illustrations of the northern lights were instrumental in advancing our understanding of this celestial phenomenon.

In the 19th century, the name "SOPHUS" gained recognition through the accomplishments of Sophus Bugge (1833-1907), a Norwegian philologist and scholar of Old Norse literature. His contributions to the study of Norse mythology and sagas were highly influential, and he is regarded as one of the founders of modern Norse philology.

The surname "SOPHUS" also has connections to various place names in Denmark and Norway, such as Sophienhøj and Sophienlund, which likely derived their names from individuals bearing this surname or were named in honor of notable figures with this name.

Throughout history, the name "SOPHUS" has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including philosophy, mathematics, science, and the arts. While not an exhaustive list, these five individuals serve as notable examples of the rich legacy associated with this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sophus

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!