Find out how popular the last name Soza is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Soza.

Soza, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Soza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Soza in America

Soza is the 12432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Soza surname appeared 2,499 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Soza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Soza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Soza

The surname Soza has its origins in Spain and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "soza," which means "dirty" or "unclean." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or to distinguish a person based on their appearance or occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Soza surname appears in the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like record from 1752 that documented the population and resources of the Spanish Crown. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Soza living in various regions of Spain.

During the colonial era, the Soza name spread to the Americas as Spanish settlers and explorers ventured to the New World. Some of the earliest records of the name in Latin America can be found in church records and official documents from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable individual with the Soza surname was Juan de Soza, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico in the early 16th century. Another was Diego de Soza, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.

In the late 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the Soza name was José Soza, a Chilean military officer and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence movement. He was born in 1770 and served as the first President of the Governing Council of Chile in 1810.

Another notable individual was Mariano Soza, a Chilean lawyer and politician who lived from 1825 to 1891. He served as the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction in Chile and was a key figure in the country's legal and educational reforms.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Soza surname was Claudio Soza, a Chilean footballer who played as a goalkeeper for several clubs, including Universidad Católica and the Chilean national team. He was born in 1978 and represented Chile in multiple World Cup and Copa América tournaments.

While the Soza surname is more commonly found in Latin American countries, particularly Chile and Argentina, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Soza

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Soza.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Soza was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Soza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Soza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Soza, please contact us.

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