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

Soprano, 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 Soprano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Soprano in America

Soprano is the 47429th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Soprano surname appeared 447 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 Soprano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Soprano 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 Soprano

The surname Soprano originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "soprano," meaning "high" or "above." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived at a higher elevation or on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Soprano name can be found in a document from the city of Pisa, dated around 1250. This document mentions a certain "Guido Soprano," who was likely a resident of the area at that time.

In the 14th century, the Soprano name appears in historical records from the region of Tuscany, particularly in the city of Florence. A notable figure from this period was Giovanni Soprano, a prominent merchant and banker who lived from 1320 to 1389.

As the centuries passed, the Soprano surname spread to other parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania and Calabria. In the 16th century, there are records of a family of Soprano landowners in the town of Sorrento, near Naples.

One of the most famous individuals with the Soprano surname was the Italian painter and architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, also known as Giacomo Soprano, who lived from 1507 to 1573. He was renowned for his contributions to Renaissance architecture, including the design of the Church of the Gesù in Rome.

Another notable figure was Antonio Soprano, a 17th-century Italian composer and organist who lived from 1607 to 1671. He was highly regarded for his sacred music compositions and his work as the organist at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

During the 18th century, the Soprano name gained prominence in the field of music. Carlo Soprano, born in 1738 in Naples, was a renowned operatic tenor who performed throughout Europe. His contemporary, Gaetano Soprano, born in 1753 in Palermo, was also a celebrated tenor known for his performances in Italian operas.

In more recent times, the Soprano surname has been associated with the fictional character Tony Soprano, the protagonist of the acclaimed HBO television series "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007. While this character is not a real historical figure, the show's popularity has contributed to the recognition of the Soprano name worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Soprano

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

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

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

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