2000
#19,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,256
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.47
Rare Last name
Sotolongo
A Spanish surname likely deriving from a topographic feature such as a long, straight path or road.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,865 Americans carry the last name Sotolongo. That puts it at #17,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 183,782 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sotolongo 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
1.9K
1 in 183,782
Census rank
#17,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,626 bearers of the surname Sotolongo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sotolongo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sotolongo
The surname Sotolongo has its origins in Spain, specifically from the regions of Castile and León. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Spanish phrase "soto longo," which translates to "long grove" or "long thicket."
This surname is thought to have originated as a toponymic name, referring to a specific place or location associated with a long grove or thicket. It is likely that the earliest bearers of this surname lived near or were associated with such a place. Variations in spelling over time include Sotolongo, Sotolongo, and Sotolongo.
Historical records show the presence of the Sotolongo name as early as the 15th century. One notable example is found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Málaga," a document from the 15th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Málaga after its conquest by the Catholic Monarchs in 1487.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the Sotolongo surname are:
1. Diego de Sotolongo (born circa 1470), a Spanish nobleman and landowner mentioned in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Málaga."
2. Juan de Sotolongo (1522-1598), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Americas.
3. María de Sotolongo (1580-1645), a Spanish noblewoman known for her philanthropic work and contributions to the establishment of educational institutions.
In the 17th century, the Sotolongo surname gained prominence with the birth of:
4. Francisco de Sotolongo (1610-1678), a renowned Spanish painter and artist who was part of the Baroque movement in Spain.
Another notable figure was:
5. Alonso de Sotolongo (1742-1819), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of various Spanish territories in the Americas.
While the Sotolongo surname originated in Spain, it later spread to other parts of the world, primarily through Spanish colonization and migration. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, including Spain, Latin American nations, and other regions with historical Spanish influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sotolongo
Among Census respondents with the surname Sotolongo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sotolongo 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 Sotolongo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 1,450
- White9.7% · 158
- Black or African American0.7% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
- Two or more races0.1% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sotolongo
Sotolongo 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
#17,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,585
+329 bearers (+26.2%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 2,114 places
2020
#17,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,626
+41 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,813 | 1,256 | 0.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,699 | 1,585 | 0.54 | +329 bearers (+26.2%) | Up 2,114 places |
| 2020 | #17,049 | 1,626 | 0.54 | +41 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 650 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 Sotolongo 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 | #17,699 | #17,049 | 3.7% |
| Count | 1,585 | 1,626 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sotolongo bearers went from 1,585 to 1,626 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 650 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,699 to #17,049.
FAQ
Sotolongo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sotolongo?
Name Census estimates that about 1,865 living Americans carry the surname Sotolongo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 183,782 residents.
How common is Sotolongo?
Sotolongo ranks #17,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 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 1,626 people with the surname Sotolongo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,865), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 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 Sotolongo.
Has Sotolongo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sotolongo went from 1,585 recorded bearers to 1,626. That is an increase of 41 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,699 to #17,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sotolongo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sotolongo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Black (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 Sotolongo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (1,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sotolongo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), White (9.7%), Black (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 Sotolongo (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 Sotolongo mean?
A Spanish surname likely deriving from a topographic feature such as a long, straight path or road. 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 Sotolongo (0.54 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 Sotolongo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.