2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Soronen
A Finnish surname derived from a nickname referring to a person with rosy cheeks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Soronen. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soronen 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Soronen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soronen, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soronen
The surname Soronen has its origins in Finland, and it is believed to have emerged during the 16th century or earlier. The name is derived from the Finnish word "soro," which means "gravel" or "pebble." It is likely that the name was originally a descriptive name given to someone who lived near a gravelly area or worked with gravel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Soronen can be found in the Finnish parish records of the 17th century. These records often provide valuable insights into the history and origins of surnames in Finland.
The name Soronen has also been associated with various place names in Finland. For instance, there is a village called Soronkylä in the municipality of Kuusamo, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname.
Among the notable individuals who have borne the surname Soronen, one can mention Paavo Soronen (1899-1983), a Finnish farmer and politician who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1945 to 1962. Another individual of note is Martti Soronen (1908-1994), a Finnish athlete who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and won a silver medal in the javelin throw event.
In the field of literature, one can highlight Juha Soronen (1918-1998), a Finnish author and translator who was known for his works in both Finnish and Swedish languages. He also served as the editor of the literary magazine "Horisont" for several years.
Moving back in time, there is a record of a man named Heikki Soronen, who was born in the late 17th century in the village of Soronkylä. He is believed to be one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname.
Another individual of historical significance is Jaakko Soronen (1734-1792), a Finnish farmer and landowner who lived in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. He is known for his involvement in the establishment of a local church and for his contributions to the development of agriculture in the area.
Throughout history, the surname Soronen has been associated with various professions, including farming, politics, athletics, and literature, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soronen
Among Census respondents with the surname Soronen, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Soronen 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 Soronen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 7
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soronen
Soronen 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+17 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,398 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,772 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 7,398 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,772 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 Soronen 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 | #136,449 | #147,221 | -7.9% |
| Count | 123 | 113 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soronen bearers went from 123 to 113 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,772 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,221.
FAQ
Soronen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soronen?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Soronen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Soronen?
Soronen ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Soronen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Soronen.
Has Soronen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soronen went from 123 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Soronen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soronen, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Soronen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soronen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (6.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Soronen (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 Soronen mean?
A Finnish surname derived from a nickname referring to a person with rosy cheeks. 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 Soronen (0.04 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 people share the surname Soronen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.