2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Soullier
A locational surname derived from a town or place name in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Soullier. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soullier 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Soullier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soullier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Soullier
The surname Soullier has its origins in France, emerging in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "soler" or "solier," meaning a maker or seller of soles, a type of leather shoe or sandal. This indicates that the name likely originated from a shoemaker or cobbler profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres, a collection of medieval charters from the Notre-Dame de Chartres cathedral, dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was present in the Chartres region of northern France during this period.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Solier," "Soulier," and "Soulyers," reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name over time. These variations were often linked to specific locations or regions within France.
A notable early bearer of the name was Jean Soullier, a French merchant and landowner who lived in the late 14th century. He was mentioned in several records from the city of Lyon, where he owned properties and conducted business.
During the Renaissance period, the name was associated with several notable figures, including Pierre Soullier, a French theologian and author born in 1542. He wrote several treatises on religious subjects and was recognized for his scholarly work.
In the 17th century, the name Soullier appeared in connection with various locations, such as the village of Soulliers in the Auvergne region of central France. This suggests that the name may have also been derived from or influenced by place names.
Another prominent individual bearing the name was Jacques Soullier, a French painter and engraver born in 1678. He was known for his portraits and religious works, which can still be found in various churches and museums throughout France.
In the 18th century, the name continued to be present in various regions of France, with records showing individuals named Soullier in Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region around Paris.
One of the more notable figures of this period was Marie-Anne Soullier, a French playwright and author born in 1729. She wrote several plays and novels, contributing to the literary scene of her time.
As the name Soullier spread across France over the centuries, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to other continents through migration and diaspora movements. However, the surname remains strongly rooted in its French origins and the historical shoemaking profession from which it derived.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soullier
Among Census respondents with the surname Soullier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Soullier 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 Soullier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 101
- Two or more races7.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soullier
Soullier 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,166 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+12 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 16,166 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 10,637 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 Soullier 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 | #154,907 | #144,270 | 6.9% |
| Count | 105 | 117 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soullier bearers went from 105 to 117 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 10,637 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #144,270.
FAQ
Soullier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soullier?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Soullier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Soullier?
Soullier ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Soullier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Soullier.
Has Soullier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soullier went from 105 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 12 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Soullier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soullier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Soullier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soullier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Soullier (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 Soullier mean?
A locational surname derived from a town or place name in France. 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 Soullier (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 last name Soullier?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Soullier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.