Soto
A Spanish surname meaning “grove” or “small wood,” originally used for people who lived near such a place.
The #191 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,137 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Soto comes from Spanish soto, a word for a wooded place, grove, or riverside thicket. The Spanish term is generally traced back to Latin saltus, meaning a wooded pasture, forest, or upland range used for grazing. As a surname, it would have started as a name for someone who lived by or came from such a place.
History
This is a common surname across the Spanish-speaking world and was carried early to the Americas through Spanish colonization. The historical record also preserves noble and place-name uses, including forms such as De Soto. In the United States, it is especially associated with Hispanic and Latino families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The explorer Hernando de Soto made the surname famous in early colonial American history.
From the historical record
“the fief of S., Xorm.llSO-0-3 (MRS); jS'ormau, Robert, "Wahor de S. IIOS (lb.); Roger do Soto\vill-, Engl. c. 1272 (RH). Sutton. Thomas, founder of the Charter House, wa? son of RiVhard Suttou (who d. looS;, Steward of”
— The Norman People and their existing descendants in the British dominions and the United States