2000
#34,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 627
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Sow
A surname derived from the Old English word for a female pig or a person who looks after pigs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,720 Americans carry the last name Sow. That puts it at #9,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sow 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,138
Census rank
#9,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,244 bearers of the surname Sow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sow, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sow
The surname "Sow" is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "sugu" meaning "pig" or "sow". The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with pigs or raised them.
In medieval times, surnames were often derived from one's occupation, physical characteristics, or place of residence. The surname "Sow" would have referred to someone whose livelihood revolved around pigs or swine, either as a farmer, breeder, or possibly even a vendor of pork products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Sow" can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Sowe in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also mention a William Sowe.
During the 14th century, the surname appears in various records across different regions of England. The Hundred Rolls of 1379 record a John Sowe in Oxfordshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Johannes Sowe.
In the 15th century, the surname is found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the Paston family of Norfolk. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a "Sowe of Bokynham".
Notable individuals with the surname "Sow" throughout history include:
1. Christopher Sow (c. 1590 - c. 1650), an English soldier and explorer who served in the Virginia Company and was among the early settlers of Jamestown.
2. John Sow (1546 - 1618), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bingham, Nottinghamshire.
3. William Sow (1654 - 1718), a Scottish farmer and landowner from Ayrshire, known for his involvement in local politics and community affairs.
4. Elizabeth Sow (1675 - 1743), an English midwife and author of one of the earliest published works on midwifery, "The Compleat Midwife's Practice" (1737).
5. Thomas Sow (1801 - 1879), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and was among the first Europeans to document the flora and fauna of the region.
While the surname "Sow" is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, reflecting the agrarian roots and occupational heritage of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sow
Among Census respondents with the surname Sow, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sow 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 Sow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.0% · 2,986
- White2.5% · 82
- Two or more races1.9% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sow
Sow 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
#14,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,984
+1,357 bearers (+216.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 19,290 places
2020
#9,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,244
+1,260 bearers (+63.5%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 5,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,210 | 627 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,920 | 1,984 | 0.67 | +1,357 bearers (+216.4%) | Up 19,290 places |
| 2020 | #9,585 | 3,244 | 1.09 | +1,260 bearers (+63.5%) | Up 5,335 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 Sow 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 | #14,920 | #9,585 | 35.8% |
| Count | 1,984 | 3,244 | 63.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 1.09 | 62.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sow bearers went from 1,984 to 3,244 (+63.5% change). The surname moved up 5,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,920 to #9,585.
FAQ
Sow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sow?
Name Census estimates that about 3,720 living Americans carry the surname Sow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,138 residents.
How common is Sow?
Sow ranks #9,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,244 people with the surname Sow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,720), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Sow.
Has Sow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sow went from 1,984 recorded bearers to 3,244. That is an increase of 1,260 (+63.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,920 to #9,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Sow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sow, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,986 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.0%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Sow (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 Sow mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word for a female pig or a person who looks after pigs. 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 Sow (1.09 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 Sow?
If you just want to know how many people are called Sow, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.