Solei
A feminine name derived from the Spanish word "sol" meaning "sun".
Name Census estimates that about 786 living Americans carry the first name Solei. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Solei today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Solei births was 2023 (90 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Solei. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Solei with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
786
~ 1 in 436,074 Americans
Peak year
2023
90 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,476
Tracked since 1996
Census
Solei in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 422 people with the first name Solei, which placed it at #23,260 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#23,260
National first-name rank
People counted
422
422 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
45.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Solei
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Solei is Hispanic at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and White (17.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Solei 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 name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Solei at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino45.3% · 191
- Black or African American26.5% · 112
- White17.3% · 73
- Two or more races8.8% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Popularity
Solei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Solei from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 328 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Solei by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Solei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Soleis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Solei, while New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Solei
The name Solei is believed to have its origins in the Romance languages, specifically Italian and Spanish. It is derived from the word "sole," which means "sun" in both languages. This connection to the sun suggests a meaning and symbolism of warmth, radiance, and vitality.
In Italian culture, the name Solei may have been inspired by the sun-worshipping traditions of ancient Rome, where the sun god Sol was revered. The name could be seen as a way to honor this celestial body and its importance in sustaining life on Earth.
The earliest known written record of the name Solei dates back to the 14th century, appearing in Italian Renaissance literature. One notable example is the poem "Il Canzoniere" by Francesco Petrarca, where he refers to a character named Solei as a symbol of beauty and love.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Solei. One of the earliest was Solei di Monferrato (1390-1460), an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts during the Renaissance period. Her patronage supported many famous artists and writers of the time, including the renowned painter Piero della Francesca.
Another influential figure was Solei Colombo (1467-1524), an Italian explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his voyages to the Americas. Colombo's detailed accounts and maps of the new lands were instrumental in furthering the exploration and colonization of the New World.
In the realm of literature, Solei Gabrielli (1623-1688) was an Italian poet and playwright known for her works that challenged societal norms and advocated for women's rights. Her plays, such as "La Donna Costante" (The Steadfast Woman), became popular and influential in their time.
Moving to more recent history, Solei Zindani (1834-1912) was an Italian-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her intricate marble sculptures depicting scenes from classical mythology. Her works can be found in museums and galleries across Europe.
Lastly, Solei Benedetti (1901-1985) was an Italian actress and film star during the golden age of Italian cinema. She appeared in numerous classic films and was celebrated for her iconic roles in romantic dramas and comedies.
While these are just a few examples, the name Solei has been carried by individuals across various fields and eras, each leaving their mark on history with their accomplishments and contributions.
People
Solei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Solei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Solei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Solei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 786 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Solei going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 436,074 US residents.
Is Solei a common name?
We classify Solei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 793 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Solei most popular?
The single biggest year for Solei was 2023, when 90 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Solei is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Solei in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 422 people with the name Solei, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #23,260 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Solei in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Solei?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Solei leans strongly female. 424 people counted with this name were female (98.6%), compared with 6 male bearers (1.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Solei?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Solei is Hispanic at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and White (17.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Solei most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Solei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.3% (191 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Solei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Solei a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Solei in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Solei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Solei in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Solei can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Solei?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.