2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sowul
A variant spelling of the Korean surname meaning "grand" or "eminent."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Sowul. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sowul 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Sowul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sowul, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sowul
The surname SOWUL originated in England during the Norman conquest of the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "sou", meaning a small coin or penny, and the suffix "-al", indicating an occupation or characteristic. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who worked as a tax collector or dealt with money.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry "Ricardus Soual" is listed as a landowner in the county of Essex.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Sowel", "Sowell", and "Souale", reflecting the inconsistent spelling of surnames at the time. In 1273, a Johannes Souale is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a survey of landowners and their estates.
In the 14th century, the name took on the modern spelling of "SOWUL". Records from this period include Sir William SOWUL, a knight who fought alongside Edward III in the Hundred Years' War, and John SOWUL, a prominent merchant in the city of Bristol, who served as Mayor in 1389.
The 15th century saw the rise of Thomas SOWUL, a scholar and theologian who studied at Oxford University and became a Canon of Windsor in 1462. His writings on religious philosophy were widely influential during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the SOWUL family established themselves as landowners in the county of Wiltshire. One notable member was Sir Richard SOWUL, who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Devizes in 1555 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1561.
The 17th century brought forth Samuel SOWUL, a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, including the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral, which was completed in 1711 after his death.
Throughout the centuries, the SOWUL surname has been carried by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, artists, and military leaders. However, the name's origins remain rooted in the Norman conquest of England and its association with occupations related to finance and taxation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sowul
Among Census respondents with the surname Sowul, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sowul 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 Sowul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 103
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sowul
Sowul 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+19 bearers (+18.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,315 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-13 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.1%) | Up 9,315 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 13,072 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 Sowul 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 | #135,593 | #148,665 | -9.6% |
| Count | 124 | 111 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sowul bearers went from 124 to 111 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 13,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #148,665.
FAQ
Sowul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sowul?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Sowul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Sowul?
Sowul ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Sowul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Sowul.
Has Sowul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sowul went from 124 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Sowul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sowul, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Sowul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sowul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Sowul (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 Sowul mean?
A variant spelling of the Korean surname meaning "grand" or "eminent." 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 Sowul (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 share the surname Sowul?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.