2000
#859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,813
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.65
Uncommon Last name
Sosa
A Spanish surname derived from the word "sosa," meaning "salty," likely referring to a place with salty water or soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 61,108 Americans carry the last name Sosa. That puts it at #621 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,609 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sosa 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
61K
1 in 5,609
Census rank
#621
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
53K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 53,289 bearers of the surname Sosa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 621st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sosa
The surname SOSA originated in Spain, likely emerging during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "sosa," meaning "soft" or "mild." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a gentle or calm demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the SOSA surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in Andalusia and Castile. Historical records from this time period, such as tax rolls and census documents, contain references to individuals bearing this surname.
One notable early mention of the SOSA name is found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the city of Seville after its reconquest from Moorish rule. This document lists several SOSA families among the recipients of land grants.
During the 15th century, the SOSA surname gained prominence with the rise of Juan de Sosa, a prominent Spanish military commander and ambassador. Born in Toro, Zamora, around 1420, Juan de Sosa served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon and played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain.
Another notable figure was Pedro de Sosa, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Pedro de Sosa was born in Seville around 1490 and participated in several battles against the Aztecs, including the siege of Tenochtitlan.
In the 17th century, the SOSA surname was carried to the Americas by Spanish settlers and conquistadors. One notable bearer of the name was Gaspar de Sosa, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the expeditions of Juan de Oñate to establish Spanish settlements in present-day New Mexico in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
The SOSA name also gained prominence in literature with the Spanish writer Cristóbal de Sosa, born in Seville in 1577. He is best known for his work "Perpetua Alegría de los Ingenios," a collection of poems and literary compositions published in 1615.
Throughout its history, the SOSA surname has been associated with various places in Spain, including the towns of Sosa de Tajo and Sosa del Arco, both located in the province of Cáceres. These place names may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname in certain regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sosa
Among Census respondents with the surname Sosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sosa 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 Sosa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.7% · 49,404
- White5.3% · 2,834
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 437
- Black or African American0.7% · 367
- Two or more races0.3% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 108
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sosa
Sosa 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
#650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 52,457
+15,644 bearers (+42.5%)
Per 100,000 17.78
Rank movement Up 209 places
2020
#621
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,289
+832 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 17.83
Rank movement Up 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #859 | 36,813 | 13.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #650 | 52,457 | 17.78 | +15,644 bearers (+42.5%) | Up 209 places |
| 2020 | #621 | 53,289 | 17.83 | +832 bearers (+1.6%) | Up 29 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 Sosa 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 | #650 | #621 | 4.5% |
| Count | 52,457 | 53,289 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 17.78 | 17.83 | 0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sosa bearers went from 52,457 to 53,289 (+1.6% change). The surname moved up 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #650 to #621.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sosa
FAQ
Sosa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sosa?
Name Census estimates that about 61,108 living Americans carry the surname Sosa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,609 residents.
How common is Sosa?
Sosa ranks #621 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 18 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 53,289 people with the surname Sosa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (61,108), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 18 of them to have the surname Sosa.
Has Sosa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sosa went from 52,457 recorded bearers to 53,289. That is an increase of 832 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #650 to #621.
What does the Census say about the background of Sosa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Sosa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (49,404 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sosa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.7%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Sosa (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 Sosa mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "sosa," meaning "salty," likely referring to a place with salty water or soil. 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 Sosa (17.83 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 surname Sosa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.