2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sowerwine
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of a tart beverage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Sowerwine. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sowerwine 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Sowerwine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sowerwine, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sowerwine
The surname Sowerwine is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "sowen," meaning to sow or plant, and "win," meaning wine or vineyard. Thus, the name may have initially referred to a person who worked in a vineyard or was involved in the production of wine.
One of the earliest known records of the name Sowerwine can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "Sowerwynne" and "Souwerwine," indicating its evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name Sowerwine appeared in the Regesta Imperii, a compilation of official documents from the Holy Roman Empire. This record mentions a certain "Johannes Sowerwine," who was a landowner in the region of Franconia.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name Sowerwine was Hans Sowerwine, a prominent merchant and trader who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. He was known for his extensive trade networks and his contributions to the city's economic development.
Another historical figure with the surname Sowerwine was Friedrich Sowerwine, a German philosopher and scholar who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1622 and is known for his writings on ethics and metaphysics, which were influential during the Enlightenment period.
In the 18th century, the name Sowerwine was also associated with the city of Mainz, where a family by the name of Sowerwine was involved in the production of wine and owned several vineyards. The Sowerwine family was considered one of the most prominent winemaking families in the region during that time.
The name Sowerwine can also be traced back to various place names in Germany, such as Sowerwinesberg, a small town in the region of Baden-Württemberg. This town's name is believed to be derived from the surname Sowerwine, indicating the presence of families with this name in the area.
Throughout history, the surname Sowerwine has undergone various spellings and variations, including Sowerwein, Souwerwein, and Sowerwyne, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sowerwine
Among Census respondents with the surname Sowerwine, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sowerwine 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 Sowerwine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 11
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sowerwine
Sowerwine 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Sowerwine 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sowerwine bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Sowerwine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sowerwine?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Sowerwine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Sowerwine?
Sowerwine ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Sowerwine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Sowerwine.
Has Sowerwine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sowerwine went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Sowerwine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sowerwine, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Sowerwine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sowerwine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (10.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Sowerwine (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 Sowerwine mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of a tart beverage. 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 Sowerwine (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 are called Sowerwine?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Sowerwine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.