NameCensus.

UK surname

Soto

A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or small wood.

In the 1881 census there were 2 people recorded with the Soto surname, ranking it #33,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 186, ranked #20,575, up from #33,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Soto is 186 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9200.0%.

1881 census count

2

Ranked #33,721

Modern count

186

2016, ranked #20,575

Peak year

2016

186 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Soto had 2 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016, ranked #20,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Soto surname distribution map

The map shows where the Soto surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Soto surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Soto over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 4 #32,658
1881 historical 2 #33,721
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1901 historical 6 #33,591
1911 historical 17 #31,675
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 105 #27,035
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 105 #27,123
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 119 #25,193
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 182 #20,795
2014 modern 185 #20,739
2015 modern 178 #21,149
2016 modern 186 #20,575

Geography

Back to top

Where Sotos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Tower Hamlets and Canterbury. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 033 Barnet
2 Hackney 010 Hackney
3 Kensington and Chelsea 021 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Tower Hamlets 019 Tower Hamlets
5 Canterbury 013 Canterbury

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Soto

These lists show first names that appear often with the Soto surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Soto

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Soto, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Soto surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Soto household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Soto is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Soto is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Soto falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Soto is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Soto, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Soto

The surname Soto has its origins in Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "soto," which means a grove or thicket of trees. The name likely originated in northern Spain, where such wooded areas were common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Soto appears in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval document from the 14th century that listed the names of landowners and their properties in the region of Castile. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time.

Another notable historical reference to the name Soto is found in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise written in the late 13th century during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. The book mentions several places with the name "Soto," indicating that the name was associated with specific locations.

The earliest known bearer of the surname Soto was Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer and conquistador born in 1496 in Villanueva de la Serena, Extremadura. He is famous for leading the first European expedition to explore the present-day southeastern United States, including the Mississippi River.

Another notable figure with the surname Soto was Domingo de Soto, a 16th-century Dominican friar and theologian born in Segovia, Spain, in 1494. He was a prominent member of the School of Salamanca and made significant contributions to the field of economics and moral philosophy.

In the realm of literature, the Spanish poet and playwright Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio, born in 1562, is believed to have had ancestors with the surname Soto. His plays and poems were highly influential during the Spanish Golden Age.

Moving to the New World, Hernando de Soto's expedition through the southeastern United States in the 16th century led to the establishment of several place names derived from his surname, such as Soto County in Arkansas and Soto Prairie in Illinois.

In the 20th century, the Mexican-American author and activist Gloria E. Anzaldúa, born in 1942 in Hargill, Texas, used the surname Soto as part of her pen name. Her influential works explored issues of identity, feminism, and the Chicano experience.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Soto families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Soto surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cheshire leads with 2 Sotos recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.95x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 2 46.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birkenhead in Cheshire leads with 2 Sotos recorded in 1881 and an index of 588.24x.

Place Total Index
Birkenhead 2 588.24x

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Soto surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Anto 1
D. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Soto households.

Occupation Count
1st Oficial 1
Palero 1

FAQ

Soto surname: questions and answers

How common was the Soto surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2 people were recorded with the Soto surname. That placed it at #33,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Soto surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016. That gives Soto a modern rank of #20,575.

What does the Soto surname mean?

A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or small wood.

What does the Soto map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Soto bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.