Explore the Family Name Solar

The meaning of Solar

1. Spanish, Catalan, Aragonese, and Asturian-Leonese: topographic name from solar ‘ancestral home’ (a derivative of solum ‘ground, floor’), perhaps denoting someone who lived near or at the house of an important family. 2. Galician and Spanish: habitational name from any of the places called Solar (Lugo, La Rioja). 3. Slovenian (Šolar): status name for an educated person, from a derivative of šola ‘school’. Compare German Scholer and English Scholar, see also Sholar. 4. Slovenian, Croatian, and Serbian: occupational name for a salt merchant, from a derivative of sol (Serbian so) ‘salt’. 5. Jewish (from Ukraine): occupational name from Ukrainian solyar ‘salt merchant’. Compare above. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Ana, Armando, Francisco, Luis, Alfonso, Alfredo, Artemio, Bienvenido, Carlos, Fermin, Gerardo.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Solar in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Solar has seen a slight increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Solar was ranked 17,548 in popularity and saw an increase of approximately 5.11% by 2010 when it moved up to the 16,652nd position. The number of individuals bearing the surname also increased during this time period, with a growth of around 16.29%, from 1,479 people in 2000 to 1,720 people in 2010. Furthermore, the proportion of individuals named Solar per every 100,000 people saw a minor rise of about 5.45%.

20002010Change
Rank#17,548#16,6525.11%
Count1,4791,72016.29%
Proportion per 100k0.550.585.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Solar

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Solar also underwent some significant changes between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest group remained those who identify as White, although their percentage decreased slightly from 70.79% to 63.90%. Those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase, moving up from 23.53% to 29.53%. Additionally, there was a notable increase of around 49.62% in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, going from 2.64% to 3.95%. However, the Black group experienced a decrease from 2.03% to 1.40%. Lastly, in 2010, new categories appeared in the data: individuals identifying as two or more races (0.76%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.47%), which were not present in the 2000 survey.

20002010Change
White70.79%63.9%-9.73%
Hispanic23.53%29.53%25.5%
Asian/Pacific Islander2.64%3.95%49.62%
Black2.03%1.4%-31.03%
Two or More Races0%0.76%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.47%0%