2000
#12,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,220
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Sova
A Czech and Slovak surname derived from the word "sova," meaning "owl," likely referring to a person's appearance or characteristics.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,593 Americans carry the last name Sova. That puts it at #12,990 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,184 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sova 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
2.6K
1 in 132,184
Census rank
#12,990
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,261 bearers of the surname Sova in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12990th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sova, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sova
The surname SOVA is of Slavic origin, with roots traced back to the regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The name is derived from the Slavic word "sova," meaning "owl."
In the early medieval period, the name was likely used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with distinctive physical or behavioral characteristics associated with owls, such as keen eyesight or a tendency to be active at night. As surnames became more widely adopted, these nicknames evolved into hereditary family names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SOVA surname can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the Novgorod Republic, an ancient Russian state situated in what is now northwestern Russia. The document mentions a merchant named Ivan Sova, suggesting that the name was already in use during that time.
In the 16th century, the SOVA surname appeared in the Veliky Novgorod census records, further cementing its presence in the region. Several variations of the spelling, such as Sovka and Sovchenko, were also documented, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic variations.
Over the centuries, the SOVA name has been borne by notable individuals from diverse fields. One such figure was Yuri Sova (1888-1948), a prominent Russian artist and member of the avant-garde movement in the early 20th century. His works, influenced by Cubism and Futurism, are housed in prestigious collections worldwide.
Another notable bearer of the SOVA surname was Vasily Sova (1914-1985), a Soviet military officer who fought valiantly during World War II and was awarded the prestigious Hero of the Soviet Union honor for his bravery and leadership.
In the realm of literature, the Russian writer and playwright Yevgeny Sova (1901-1964) left a lasting impact with his works that explored the complexities of human relationships and societal issues of his time.
Moving into the modern era, Andrei Sova (born 1956) is a renowned Russian engineer and scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of aerospace technology and has been recognized with numerous awards and honors.
It is worth noting that the SOVA surname is not limited to Eastern Europe; it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to immigration patterns and cultural exchanges over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sova
Among Census respondents with the surname Sova, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sova 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 Sova surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,073
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 88
- Two or more races2.7% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sova
Sova 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
#13,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,200
-20 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 995 places
2020
#12,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,261
+61 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 762 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,757 | 2,220 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,752 | 2,200 | 0.75 | -20 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 995 places |
| 2020 | #12,990 | 2,261 | 0.76 | +61 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 762 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 Sova 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 | #13,752 | #12,990 | 5.5% |
| Count | 2,200 | 2,261 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.76 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sova bearers went from 2,200 to 2,261 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 762 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,752 to #12,990.
FAQ
Sova surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sova?
Name Census estimates that about 2,593 living Americans carry the surname Sova. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,184 residents.
How common is Sova?
Sova ranks #12,990 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,261 people with the surname Sova. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,593), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Sova.
Has Sova become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sova went from 2,200 recorded bearers to 2,261. That is an increase of 61 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,752 to #12,990.
What does the Census say about the background of Sova?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sova, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Sova in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,073 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sova appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Sova (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 Sova mean?
A Czech and Slovak surname derived from the word "sova," meaning "owl," likely referring to a person's appearance or characteristics. 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 Sova (0.76 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 Sova?
Find out how many people have the surname Sova on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.