2000
#8,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,760
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Sorto
A Spanish surname derived from the word "sorto," meaning "deaf" or "hard of hearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,498 Americans carry the last name Sorto. That puts it at #4,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,334 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sorto 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
8.5K
1 in 40,334
Census rank
#4,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,411 bearers of the surname Sorto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sorto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sorto
The surname SORTO has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to derive from the Italian word "sorto," meaning "risen" or "arisen," which may have referred to someone who had risen from humble beginnings or overcome adversity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SORTO surname can be found in the records of the Republic of Florence, where a certain Matteo SORTO is mentioned as a member of the city's merchant guild in the year 1456. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the late 16th century, the SORTO family seems to have spread to other parts of Italy, as evidenced by the birth of Giovanni SORTO in Naples in 1582. Giovanni's grandson, Antonio SORTO (1627-1691), became a noted philosopher and theologian, publishing several influential works on ethics and morality.
Another notable figure bearing the SORTO surname was Gabriele SORTO (1723-1797), a celebrated painter from the city of Verona. His works, which included portraits and religious scenes, can still be found in several churches and museums throughout northern Italy.
As the SORTO family continued to grow and disperse, they made their way to other European countries. One such example is Emilio SORTO (1856-1932), a Spanish architect and engineer who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Madrid and Barcelona.
In the 20th century, the SORTO name gained recognition in the field of literature with the writer and poet, Luciano SORTO (1911-1985). Born in Rome, Luciano's works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, earning him critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
Throughout its long history, the SORTO surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, artists, and writers. While its origins can be traced back to Italy, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, carrying with it a rich legacy and a testament to the resilience and achievements of those who have carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sorto
Among Census respondents with the surname Sorto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sorto 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 Sorto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.9% · 7,110
- White3.0% · 226
- Black or African American0.6% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 18
- Two or more races0.1% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sorto
Sorto 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
#5,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,523
+2,763 bearers (+73.5%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Up 2,786 places
2020
#4,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,411
+888 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 2.48
Rank movement Up 697 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,123 | 3,760 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,337 | 6,523 | 2.21 | +2,763 bearers (+73.5%) | Up 2,786 places |
| 2020 | #4,640 | 7,411 | 2.48 | +888 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 697 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 Sorto 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 | #5,337 | #4,640 | 13.1% |
| Count | 6,523 | 7,411 | 13.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.48 | 12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sorto bearers went from 6,523 to 7,411 (+13.6% change). The surname moved up 697 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,337 to #4,640.
FAQ
Sorto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sorto?
Name Census estimates that about 8,498 living Americans carry the surname Sorto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,334 residents.
How common is Sorto?
Sorto ranks #4,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,411 people with the surname Sorto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sorto.
Has Sorto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sorto went from 6,523 recorded bearers to 7,411. That is an increase of 888 (+13.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,337 to #4,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Sorto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sorto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Sorto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (7,110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sorto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.9%), White (3.0%), Black (0.6%). 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 Sorto (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 Sorto mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "sorto," meaning "deaf" or "hard of hearing." 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 Sorto (2.48 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 are called Sorto?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Sorto, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.