2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Sovde
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to Swedish or Norwegian origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Sovde. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sovde 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Sovde in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sovde, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sovde
The surname SOVDE is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Norway. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, deriving from the Old Norse word "saufr" or "sauðr," meaning "sheep." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in sheep farming or related occupations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SOVDE name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, a person named Thorstein Sovde is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1289.
During the Middle Ages, the name SOVDE appeared in various forms, such as Saufde, Saufdhe, and Saufde, reflecting regional spelling variations. These variations were common before standardized spelling conventions were established.
The SOVDE name was particularly prevalent in the western and central regions of Norway, including areas like Vestlandet and Trøndelag. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Sigurd Sovde (1582-1637), a Norwegian clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Stavanger from 1618 until his death.
2. Inger Sovde (1701-1779), a Norwegian landowner and merchant known for her extensive business dealings and influence in the coastal town of Ålesund.
3. Hans Sovde (1812-1891), a Norwegian politician who served as a member of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, representing the district of Møre og Romsdal.
4. Ingrid Sovde (1884-1962), a Norwegian educator and advocate for women's rights, who played a significant role in establishing co-educational schools in her region.
5. Bjørn Sovde (1938-2011), a renowned Norwegian architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to modern Norwegian architecture.
While the SOVDE name has its roots in Norway, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration. However, its historical origins and early records remain firmly rooted in the Norwegian cultural context, reflecting the country's rich history and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sovde
Among Census respondents with the surname Sovde, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sovde 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 Sovde surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Two or more races7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sovde
Sovde 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+8 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,507 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 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 9,507 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 Sovde 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 | #150,205 | 6.0% |
| Count | 101 | 109 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sovde bearers went from 101 to 109 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 9,507 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Sovde surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sovde?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Sovde. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Sovde?
Sovde ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Sovde. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Sovde.
Has Sovde become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sovde went from 101 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 8 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Sovde?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sovde, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Sovde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sovde appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Sovde (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 Sovde mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to Swedish or Norwegian origins. 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 Sovde (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 common is the surname Sovde?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Sovde at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.