2000
#11,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,554
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Solares
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "sunny places" or "sun-exposed areas."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,362 Americans carry the last name Solares. That puts it at #8,336 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,577 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Solares 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
4.4K
1 in 78,577
Census rank
#8,336
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,804 bearers of the surname Solares in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8336th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Solares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Solares
The surname Solares is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in Spain. It is believed to have derived from the word "solar," which referred to a plot of land or a building site. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived on or owned a particular piece of land.
In the early days of surname formation, many names were based on occupations, locations, or physical characteristics. The name Solares likely originated as a descriptive term for individuals residing on a specific plot of land or having a connection to a particular solar or building site.
While no definitive historical records or manuscripts have been found that directly reference the earliest use of the surname Solares, it is probable that it emerged during the 12th or 13th centuries, when the practice of adopting hereditary surnames became more widespread in Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Solares can be found in the 14th century, when a nobleman named Juan de Solares is mentioned in documents relating to the Kingdom of Castile. This Juan de Solares was a prominent figure in the court of King Alfonso XI, who reigned from 1312 to 1350.
Another notable individual bearing the surname Solares was Pedro de Solares, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Pedro de Solares played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean islands.
In the 16th century, a man named Diego de Solares was a renowned architect and engineer who contributed to the construction of several important buildings in Spain, including the Cathedral of Seville and the Alcázar of Seville.
During the 17th century, a literary figure named Alonso de Solares gained recognition for his works, which included plays and poetry. He was born in Madrid in 1587 and is considered one of the notable writers of the Spanish Golden Age.
Lastly, in the 19th century, a prominent military figure named Manuel Solares y Solares distinguished himself during the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces. He rose through the ranks and became a highly respected general, playing a crucial role in several battles that ultimately led to the expulsion of French troops from Spain.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname Solares, highlighting its rich heritage and diverse backgrounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Solares
Among Census respondents with the surname Solares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Solares 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 Solares surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.1% · 3,578
- White4.8% · 182
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
- Two or more races0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Solares
Solares 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
#8,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,812
+1,258 bearers (+49.3%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 2,715 places
2020
#8,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,804
-8 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,344 | 2,554 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,629 | 3,812 | 1.29 | +1,258 bearers (+49.3%) | Up 2,715 places |
| 2020 | #8,336 | 3,804 | 1.27 | -8 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 293 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 Solares 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 | #8,629 | #8,336 | 3.4% |
| Count | 3,812 | 3,804 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.27 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Solares bearers went from 3,812 to 3,804 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 293 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,629 to #8,336.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Solares
FAQ
Solares surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Solares?
Name Census estimates that about 4,362 living Americans carry the surname Solares. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,577 residents.
How common is Solares?
Solares ranks #8,336 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,804 people with the surname Solares. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Solares.
Has Solares become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Solares went from 3,812 recorded bearers to 3,804. That is a decrease of 8 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,629 to #8,336.
What does the Census say about the background of Solares?
Among Census respondents with the surname Solares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Solares in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (3,578 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Solares appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.1%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Solares (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 Solares mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "sunny places" or "sun-exposed areas." 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 Solares (1.27 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 have the last name Solares?
You can see how many people have the last name Solares on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.