Explore the Family Name Sorbo

The meaning of Sorbo

1. Italian: from sorbo ‘sorb apple’, the fruit of the true service tree, Sorbus domestica, edible when very ripe. The surname may have arisen as a topographic name for someone who lived where service trees grew, or as a habitational name from any of numerous places called with this word, such as Sorbo Serpico (Avellino) or Sobro San Basile (Catazaro). 2. Norwegian (Sørbø): habitational name from any of ten or more farms, mostly in southwestern Norway, named in Old Norse as Saurbœ´r, from saurr ‘mire, mud’ + bœ´r ‘farm, settlement’.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sorbo has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Sorbo was ranked 46,523rd but slipped to 49,723rd by 2010, representing an approximate 6.88% decrease. The count of individuals with this surname also fell slightly, from 431 in 2000 to 422 in 2010, marking a dip of about 2.09%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Sorbo per 100,000 individuals also declined by 12.5%.

20002010Change
Rank#46,523#49,723-6.88%
Count431422-2.09%
Proportion per 100k0.160.14-12.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sorbo

When it comes to ethnic identity, the data obtained from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Sorbo identify as White. In 2000, this group made up 97.22% of all Sorbos and by 2010, this figure had decreased slightly to 95.73%, showing a change of -1.53%. The census did not record any individuals with the surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in both the years. Meanwhile, the percentage of Sorbos identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.62% in 2000 to 2.84% in 2010, representing a considerable growth of 75.31%. The data for those identifying with two or more races was not available or suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
White97.22%95.73%-1.53%
Hispanic1.62%2.84%75.31%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%