Explore the Family Name Sowerby
The meaning of Sowerby
English: habitational name from any of various places in northern England called Sowerby, including Sowerby Bridge (Yorkshire), Castle Sowerby (Cumberland), Brough and Temple Sowerby (Westmorland), Sowerby and Sowerby under Cotcliffe (North Yorkshire), and Sowerby near Inskip and Sowerby Hall in Dalton (Lancashire). The placenames derive from Old Norse saurr ‘mud, sour ground’ + bȳ ‘farmstead, village’. Placenames of identical origin are also found in Scotland (as Sorbie in Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and Wigtownshire, as Soroba in Argyll, and as Soroby on Tiree); also on the Isle of Man (as Surby).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sowerby in the United States?
The surname Sowerby has seen a slight increase in popularity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it ranked 62,961st in commonality and rose to the 61,585th spot in 2010, which is an elevation of approximately 2.19%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased from 297 in 2000 to 326 in 2010, marking a growth of 9.76%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people remained unchanged at 0.11.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #62,961 | #61,585 | 2.19% |
| Count | 297 | 326 | 9.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sowerby
In terms of ethnic identity, the census data reveals some interesting trends. In 2000, 89.23% of those with the Sowerby surname identified as White, but this percentage dropped slightly to 85.89% by 2010. There was also a small rise in the number of Black individuals carrying the Sowerby surname, from 8.08% in 2000 to 8.28% in 2010. The most notable change was the introduction of Hispanic individuals into the Sowerby surname pool, going from 0% in 2000 to 3.68% in 2010. The percentages for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were suppressed in both years for privacy reasons or recorded no change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.23% | 85.89% | -3.74% |
| Black | 8.08% | 8.28% | 2.48% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 3.68% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |