2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sottolano
An Italian surname derived from the phrase "sotto il lano", meaning "under the wool" or "among the wool workers".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Sottolano. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sottolano 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Sottolano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sottolano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sottolano
The surname Sottolano originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian words "sotto" (under) and "lana" (wool), suggesting a possible connection to the wool trade or textile industry in those areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sottolano can be found in the Venetian archives from the 14th century, where a certain Giovanni Sottolano was mentioned as a wool merchant operating in the city of Venice. This provides evidence of the surname's early association with the wool trade.
In the 15th century, the Sottolano family gained prominence in the town of Bergamo, located in Lombardy. A notable figure from this time was Battista Sottolano (1420-1492), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the Venetian Republic.
The surname Sottolano also appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the Renaissance period. For example, in the 16th century, a certain Pietro Sottolano was recorded as a skilled artisan and sculptor who contributed to the decoration of several churches in the city of Verona.
During the 17th century, the Sottolano family established itself in the nearby city of Brescia, where they were involved in the local silk industry. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Lucrezia Sottolano (1625-1703), a renowned silk merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of a local orphanage.
In the 18th century, the surname Sottolano spread to other parts of Italy, including the region of Tuscany. A notable figure from this era was Giacomo Sottolano (1745-1812), a celebrated painter and artist who was commissioned to create numerous works for churches and noble families in Florence.
Throughout its history, the surname Sottolano has been associated with various professions and fields, ranging from commerce and law to arts and crafts. While the name may have originated from a connection to the wool trade, it has since evolved and taken on broader meanings over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sottolano
Among Census respondents with the surname Sottolano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sottolano 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 Sottolano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sottolano
Sottolano appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-9 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 3,641 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 Sottolano 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 | #152,628 | #156,269 | -2.4% |
| Count | 107 | 98 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sottolano bearers went from 107 to 98 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 3,641 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #156,269.
FAQ
Sottolano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sottolano?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Sottolano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Sottolano?
Sottolano ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Sottolano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sottolano.
Has Sottolano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sottolano went from 107 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Sottolano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sottolano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Sottolano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sottolano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (2.0%). 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 Sottolano (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 Sottolano mean?
An Italian surname derived from the phrase "sotto il lano", meaning "under the wool" or "among the wool workers". 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 Sottolano (0.03 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 common is the surname Sottolano?
Want to know how many people have the surname Sottolano? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.