2000
#109,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Sokolova
A Slavic surname derived from the Russian word "sokol" meaning falcon or hawk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 579 Americans carry the last name Sokolova. That puts it at #45,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 591,976 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sokolova 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sokolova with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
579
1 in 591,976
Census rank
#45,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
505
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 505 bearers of the surname Sokolova in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokolova, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sokolova
The surname Sokolova is of Russian origin, derived from the word "sokol" meaning "falcon" or "hawk". This name likely originated among nobility or hunters during the Middle Ages in Russia.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Sokolova can be traced back to the 15th century, where it appears in various historical records and manuscripts documenting the Russian nobility and landowners. Some of the earliest known bearers of this surname were from the Sokolovsky family, who owned lands in the Moscow region.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Sokolova became more widespread, particularly among the Russian aristocracy and gentry. It was often associated with individuals who held positions in falconry or hunting, as falcons were prized birds of prey used in these activities.
One notable figure with the surname Sokolova was Yekaterina Sokolova, a Russian noblewoman and lady-in-waiting to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in the 18th century. She was born in 1720 and served at the imperial court in St. Petersburg.
Another prominent bearer of this surname was Sergei Sokolov (1887-1957), a Russian artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture. He was a member of the Peredvizhniki, a influential group of realist artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the 19th century, the name Sokolova was also found among Russian intellectuals and writers. One example is Olga Sokolova (1858-1924), a Russian author and feminist who wrote on women's rights and education.
The surname Sokolova can also be traced to various place names in Russia, such as the village of Sokolovka in the Voronezh Oblast, which may have been the ancestral home of some families bearing this name.
Other notable individuals with the surname Sokolova include Lyudmila Sokolova (1906-1990), a Soviet Olympic swimmer and medalist, and Galina Sokolova (1925-1998), a Russian ballerina and prima ballerina assoluta of the Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky Ballet).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sokolova
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokolova, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sokolova 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 Sokolova surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 490
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 5
- Two or more races1.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sokolova
Sokolova 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
#76,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
+101 bearers (+67.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 33,147 places
2020
#45,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 505
+255 bearers (+102.0%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 31,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,915 | 149 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,768 | 250 | 0.08 | +101 bearers (+67.8%) | Up 33,147 places |
| 2020 | #45,616 | 505 | 0.17 | +255 bearers (+102.0%) | Up 31,152 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 Sokolova 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 | #76,768 | #45,616 | 40.6% |
| Count | 250 | 505 | 102.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.17 | 111.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sokolova bearers went from 250 to 505 (+102.0% change). The surname moved up 31,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,768 to #45,616.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sokolova
FAQ
Sokolova surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sokolova?
Name Census estimates that about 579 living Americans carry the surname Sokolova. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 591,976 residents.
How common is Sokolova?
Sokolova ranks #45,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 505 people with the surname Sokolova. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Sokolova.
Has Sokolova become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sokolova went from 250 recorded bearers to 505. That is an increase of 255 (+102.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #76,768 to #45,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Sokolova?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sokolova, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Sokolova in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (490 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sokolova appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (1.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Sokolova (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 Sokolova mean?
A Slavic surname derived from the Russian word "sokol" meaning falcon or hawk. 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 Sokolova (0.17 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 Sokolova?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.