2000
#8,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,376
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Soukup
An occupational surname of Czech origin referring to a person who produced and sold cloth or linen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,976 Americans carry the last name Soukup. That puts it at #9,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,206 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soukup 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
4.0K
1 in 86,206
Census rank
#9,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,467 bearers of the surname Soukup in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soukup, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soukup
The surname Soukup is of Czech origin, originating in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which are now part of the Czech Republic. The name can be traced back to the 15th century and is derived from the Czech word "soukup," meaning "buyer" or "merchant."
Soukup was a common occupational surname given to individuals involved in trade or commerce during the medieval period. The earliest known record of the name appears in a 1437 document from the town of Kutná Hora, which mentions a person named Jan Soukup.
Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Soukup appeared in various administrative and legal records across Bohemia and Moravia, often associated with wealthy merchants and tradesmen who played a significant role in the region's economic development.
One notable bearer of the name was Václav Soukup (1580-1655), a successful merchant and landowner from Prague who gained prominence for his philanthropic efforts, particularly his support for the construction of churches and educational institutions.
Another historical figure with the surname Soukup was Jan Soukup (1632-1698), a Baroque-era painter and engraver from Kutná Hora, whose works adorned several churches and monasteries throughout Bohemia.
In the 19th century, the name Soukup became more widespread as individuals with this surname migrated from the Czech lands to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was František Soukup (1825-1892), a Czech composer and conductor who settled in Vienna and contributed significantly to the city's musical culture.
Jaroslav Soukup (1886-1972) was a prominent Czech anthropologist and ethnographer who conducted extensive research on the indigenous cultures of South America, particularly in Peru and Brazil.
Over time, the name Soukup has undergone various spelling variations, including Soukop, Soukup, and Soukoup, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in the Czech tradition of occupational surnames from the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soukup
Among Census respondents with the surname Soukup, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Soukup 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 Soukup surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,226
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 109
- Two or more races2.5% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soukup
Soukup appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,495
+119 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 398 places
2020
#9,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,467
-28 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 269 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,916 | 3,376 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,314 | 3,495 | 1.18 | +119 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 398 places |
| 2020 | #9,045 | 3,467 | 1.16 | -28 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 269 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 Soukup 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 | #9,314 | #9,045 | 2.9% |
| Count | 3,495 | 3,467 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.16 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soukup bearers went from 3,495 to 3,467 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 269 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,314 to #9,045.
FAQ
Soukup surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soukup?
Name Census estimates that about 3,976 living Americans carry the surname Soukup. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,206 residents.
How common is Soukup?
Soukup ranks #9,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,467 people with the surname Soukup. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,976), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Soukup.
Has Soukup become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soukup went from 3,495 recorded bearers to 3,467. That is a decrease of 28 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,314 to #9,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Soukup?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soukup, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Soukup in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,226 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soukup appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Soukup (2000, 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 Soukup mean?
An occupational surname of Czech origin referring to a person who produced and sold cloth or linen. 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 Soukup (1.16 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 Soukup?
Find out how many people are called Soukup on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.