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

Sotelo, 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 Sotelo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sotelo in America

Sotelo is the 1679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sotelo surname appeared 21,455 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Sotelo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sotelo 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 Sotelo

The surname Sotelo originated in Spain, deriving from the Spanish word "sotelo," which means a small grove or thicket of trees. It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near or came from a small wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sotelo can be found in the Cartulario de Santo Toribio de Liébana, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a person named Domingo Sotelo, suggesting the surname's use during that time period.

The Sotelo surname has roots in various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern provinces of Asturias, Cantabria, and Castile and León. It is also found in other parts of the country, likely due to migration patterns over the centuries.

In the 14th century, there is a record of a nobleman named Pedro Sotelo, who served as a knight in the service of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This historical figure is mentioned in the Crónica de Alfonso XI, a chronicle written during that era.

During the 16th century, a notable individual with the surname Sotelo was Luis Sotelo, a Spanish theologian and philosopher born in 1574 and died in 1624. He was known for his works on moral theology and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.

Another prominent figure was Ramón Sotelo, a Spanish military officer and politician who lived from 1881 to 1936. He played a significant role in the Spanish Civil War and was assassinated in 1936, becoming a martyr for the Nationalist cause.

In the 20th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Sotelo was Joaquín Sotelo, a Spanish painter and sculptor born in 1905 and died in 1987. He was a prominent figure in the Spanish art scene and is celebrated for his abstract and cubist works.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the surname Sotelo, reflecting its deep roots and significance within Spanish culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sotelo

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

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

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

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