2000
#13,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,071
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Soza
A Spanish surname derived from the word "sosa," meaning "soda ash" or "barilla plant," likely referring to an occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,012 Americans carry the last name Soza. That puts it at #11,470 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,796 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Soza 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
3.0K
1 in 113,796
Census rank
#11,470
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,627 bearers of the surname Soza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11470th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Soza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Soza
Among Census respondents with the surname Soza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Soza 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 Soza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.4% · 2,216
- White12.2% · 321
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 17
- Two or more races0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Soza
Soza 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
#12,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,499
+428 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 1,041 places
2020
#11,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,627
+128 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,473 | 2,071 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,432 | 2,499 | 0.85 | +428 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 1,041 places |
| 2020 | #11,470 | 2,627 | 0.88 | +128 bearers (+5.1%) | Up 962 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 Soza 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 | #12,432 | #11,470 | 7.7% |
| Count | 2,499 | 2,627 | 5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.88 | 3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Soza bearers went from 2,499 to 2,627 (+5.1% change). The surname moved up 962 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,432 to #11,470.
FAQ
Soza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Soza?
Name Census estimates that about 3,012 living Americans carry the surname Soza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,796 residents.
How common is Soza?
Soza ranks #11,470 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,627 people with the surname Soza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,012), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Soza.
Has Soza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Soza went from 2,499 recorded bearers to 2,627. That is an increase of 128 (+5.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,432 to #11,470.
What does the Census say about the background of Soza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Soza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Soza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (2,216 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Soza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.4%), White (12.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.5%). 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 Soza (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 Soza mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "sosa," meaning "soda ash" or "barilla plant," likely referring to an occupation. 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 Soza (0.88 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 Soza?
If you just want to know how common the surname Soza is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.