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

Sotomayor, 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 Sotomayor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sotomayor in America

Sotomayor is the 7859th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sotomayor surname appeared 4,210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sotomayor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sotomayor 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 Sotomayor

The surname Sotomayor originated in Spain, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Galician phrase "soto o mayor," which means "the larger grove or thicket." This suggests that the name may have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to a particular place or region known for its larger groves or wooded areas.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Sotomayor can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a 14th-century manuscript that documented the land ownership and tax obligations of various regions in Castile.

During the 15th century, the Sotomayor family gained prominence in Spain, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Castile. Juan Sotomayor y Figueroa (1450-1516), a Spanish nobleman and military leader, played a significant role in the conquest of Granada and was later appointed as the first governor of Cuba by King Ferdinand II of Aragon.

In the 16th century, the Sotomayor family expanded its influence to the Americas through the Spanish colonization efforts. Álvaro de Sotomayor y Valmediano (1525-1593), a Spanish conquistador and explorer, was one of the founders of the city of Copiapó in present-day Chile.

Another notable figure with the surname Sotomayor was Gaspar de Sotomayor y Silva (1584-1648), a Spanish military commander and viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1642 to 1648. He played a crucial role in defending the territory against internal unrest and external threats during his tenure.

In the 18th century, José Sotomayor y Terrazas (1703-1768) was a prominent Spanish military officer and governor of Havana, Cuba, from 1761 to 1768. He oversaw the reconstruction efforts in Havana after the city was captured by the British during the Seven Years' War.

The surname Sotomayor has also been associated with various place names and historical locations throughout Spain and Latin America. For example, the town of Sotomayor in Galicia, Spain, and the Sotomayor Municipality in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, are named after individuals or families bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sotomayor

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

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

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

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