2000
#3,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.94
Uncommon Last name
Soria
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person from any of the various places named Soria in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,407 Americans carry the last name Soria. That puts it at #2,625 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,247 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soria 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
15K
1 in 22,247
Census rank
#2,625
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,436 bearers of the surname Soria in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2625th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soria
The surname Soria is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Castile and León. It likely emerged during the medieval period, between the 9th and 13th centuries. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin word "sauria," which means "lizard," and may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was considered agile or quick-moving.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Soria can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval Spanish census document from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Soria, suggesting that the name was already well-established by that time.
The surname Soria is also closely associated with the city of Soria, located in the province of the same name in the northern part of Spain. It's possible that some individuals with this surname may have originated from or lived in this region, adopting the name as a way to identify their place of origin.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Soria. One of the earliest was Pedro de Soria, a Spanish nobleman and military leader who lived in the 15th century and played a significant role in the Reconquista, the effort to drive the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula.
Another prominent figure was Andrés de Soria, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions and later served as a governor in various regions of New Spain (present-day Mexico).
In the field of literature, Juan de Soria was a Spanish poet and playwright from the 16th century. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the Spanish Golden Age theater.
Moving forward in time, Francisco de Soria y Velasco was a Spanish military engineer and architect who lived in the 17th century. He was responsible for designing several important fortifications and military structures throughout Spain and its colonies.
In more recent history, María Soria was a Spanish politician and feminist activist who served as a member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies in the late 20th century. She played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and promoting gender equality in Spain.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Soria throughout history, reflecting its deep roots and enduring presence in Spanish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soria
Among Census respondents with the surname Soria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Soria 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 Soria surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.9% · 11,816
- White6.3% · 844
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 627
- Two or more races0.6% · 84
- Black or African American0.3% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soria
Soria 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
#2,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,477
+3,848 bearers (+36.2%)
Per 100,000 4.91
Rank movement Up 624 places
2020
#2,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,436
-1,041 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 4.50
Rank movement Down 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,119 | 10,629 | 3.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,495 | 14,477 | 4.91 | +3,848 bearers (+36.2%) | Up 624 places |
| 2020 | #2,625 | 13,436 | 4.50 | -1,041 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 130 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 Soria 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 | #2,495 | #2,625 | -5.2% |
| Count | 14,477 | 13,436 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.91 | 4.50 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soria bearers went from 14,477 to 13,436 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,495 to #2,625.
FAQ
Soria surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soria?
Name Census estimates that about 15,407 living Americans carry the surname Soria. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,247 residents.
How common is Soria?
Soria ranks #2,625 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,436 people with the surname Soria. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Soria.
Has Soria become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soria went from 14,477 recorded bearers to 13,436. That is a decrease of 1,041 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,495 to #2,625.
What does the Census say about the background of Soria?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Soria in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (11,816 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soria appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.9%), White (6.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Soria (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 Soria mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person from any of the various places named Soria in Spain. 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 Soria (4.50 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 Americans have the surname Soria?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.