2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Soubra
A locational surname possibly originating from the French town of Soubra.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Soubra. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soubra 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Soubra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soubra, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soubra
The surname SOUBRA has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of Lebanon. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is derived from the Arabic word "subra," which roughly translates to "patience" or "perseverance."
One of the earliest known records of the SOUBRA surname can be found in a collection of documents from the Ottoman Empire, dating back to the early 1600s. These documents mention a family with the surname SOUBRA residing in the village of Beit Chabab, located in the mountains of northern Lebanon.
The name SOUBRA is closely tied to the village of the same name, which is situated in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. It is believed that the surname originated from this specific location, as many families adopted the name of their village or town as their surname during that time period.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure by the name of Youssef SOUBRA (1745-1821) gained recognition as a prominent merchant and landowner in the Beirut area. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the local community for several generations.
Another individual of note was Khalil SOUBRA (1892-1968), a renowned Lebanese writer and poet who is celebrated for his contributions to the Arabic literary canon. His works often explored themes of nationalism, identity, and the struggles of the Lebanese people during the early 20th century.
In more recent history, Michel SOUBRA (1913-1999) was a respected Lebanese diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Lebanon from 1973 to 1975. He played a pivotal role in international negotiations during the Lebanese Civil War.
Mariam SOUBRA (born 1949) is a contemporary Lebanese artist known for her vibrant and thought-provoking paintings. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across the Middle East and Europe, and she is recognized as one of the most influential artists in the region.
While the SOUBRA surname has its roots in Lebanon, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Arabic word "subra" and the historic village of Soubra near Beirut, where the name first gained prominence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soubra
Among Census respondents with the surname Soubra, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Soubra 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 Soubra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 11
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soubra
Soubra 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+20 bearers (+19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 18,403 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.8%) | Up 18,403 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 Soubra 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 | #159,712 | #141,309 | 11.5% |
| Count | 101 | 121 | 19.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soubra bearers went from 101 to 121 (+19.8% change). The surname moved up 18,403 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #141,309.
FAQ
Soubra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soubra?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Soubra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Soubra?
Soubra ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Soubra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Soubra.
Has Soubra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soubra went from 101 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 20 (+19.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Soubra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soubra, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Soubra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soubra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Hispanic (9.1%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Soubra (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 Soubra mean?
A locational surname possibly originating from the French town of Soubra. 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 Soubra (0.04 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 have the surname Soubra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.