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

Souther, 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 Souther surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Souther in America

Souther is the 12250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Souther surname appeared 2,539 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 Souther.

We can also compare 2010 data for Souther 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 Souther

The surname Souther has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "sūth" and "hēre," meaning "south" and "army" respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a southern military encampment or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where it appears as "Southere." This document was a survey of landholdings and tenants, indicating that the Souther name was already established in England by that time.

The Souther name has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Suthereye in Essex, Sutherland in Yorkshire, and Sutherfield in Northamptonshire. These locations may have been the original places of origin for families bearing the Souther surname.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where it is recorded as "Sowther." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spellings were not yet widely established.

Notable individuals with the Souther surname include:

1. John Souther (c. 1540-1615), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1597.
2. William Souther (1598-1662), an English clergyman and scholar who was appointed as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge in 1641.
3. Thomas Souther (1642-1699), an English merchant and landowner who was a prominent figure in the city of Bristol during the late 17th century.
4. Elizabeth Souther (1670-1745), an English writer and poet who published several collections of verse during her lifetime.
5. James Souther (1795-1876), a British explorer and adventurer who traveled extensively in Africa and Asia, and published accounts of his journeys.

While the Souther name has undergone various spellings throughout its history, it has maintained a presence in England for centuries, with its origins rooted in the country's rich linguistic and geographical heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Souther

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

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

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

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