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

Sotero, 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 Sotero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sotero in America

Sotero is the 30665th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sotero surname appeared 760 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 Sotero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sotero 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 Sotero

The surname Sotero has its roots in the Spanish and Portuguese languages. It originated from the Iberian Peninsula, the region encompassing modern-day Spain and Portugal, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Latin word "soter," which means "savior" or "deliverer."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sotero can be found in the medieval Spanish village of Sotero, located in the province of Zamora. This village likely played a role in the surname's formation, as many surnames during that time were derived from place names. Additionally, the name may have been influenced by the Spanish word "sotero," meaning "a person who lives in a cellar or underground dwelling."

In Portugal, the surname Sotero is thought to have been introduced by Sephardic Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th century. These Jewish refugees often adopted Portuguese surnames to assimilate into their new communities, and Sotero may have been one such name.

Historical records from the 16th century mention a notable Portuguese figure named João Sotero (1510-1575), a merchant and explorer who was instrumental in establishing trade routes between Portugal and the East Indies.

Moving forward in time, the 17th century saw the emergence of Francisco Sotero (1635-1702), a Spanish playwright and poet whose works were widely acclaimed during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.

In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in Brazil with the birth of General João Sotero de Meneses (1810-1890), a renowned military leader who played a pivotal role in the Paraguayan War.

Another notable individual with the surname Sotero was Miguel Sotero Fernández (1855-1928), a Cuban philosopher and educator who advocated for educational reforms and the advancement of critical thinking.

Finally, in the 20th century, the name Sotero gained recognition through the works of Mexican artist and muralist José Clemente Sotero (1907-1964), whose vibrant murals and paintings depicted the struggles and triumphs of the Mexican people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sotero

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!