Soto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Soto

What does the name Soto mean?

The original bearer of the name Soto, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Soto family originally lived in one of the numerous towns or villages named Soto. The place-name Soto is derived from the Spanish word “soto,” which refers to a “thicket” or “grove.” This word is itself derived from the Latin word “saltus,” which refers to a pasture land containing a forest or wood.

Early Origins of the Soto family

The surname Soto was first found in Castile, in north central Spain.

Soto Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Soto, de Soto, Desoto, Sota, de Sota, de la Sota, Desota, Sotela, Sotelo, de Sotelo, Sotera, Sotero, Sotillo and many more.

Early Notables of the Soto family

Prominent among members of the family

• Domingo de Soto, 16th century Spanish theologian and professor at the University of Salamanca
• 17th century Spanish actress Catalina Sotomayor
• 19th century Honduran politician Marco Aurelio Soto
• 19th century Spanish military officer Raimundo María Soto
• 19th century Chilean writer and historian Ramón Sotomayor Valdés
• 19th century Spanish writer Serafín Soto
• 19th century pirate Benito Soto Aboal, whose brief career ended when he was hanged in Gibraltar in 1830

Soto World Ranking

In the United States, the name Soto is the 268^th most popular surname with an estimated 99,480 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Soto is ranked the 4,068^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 – 2,000 people with that name. 2 And in South America, the name Soto is the 83^rd popular surname with an estimated 56 people with that name. 3

 Soto migration to the United States+

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Soto Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

• Antonio de Soto, who sailed to America in 1513
• Hernando de Soto, who voyaged to Central America with Pedrarias Dávila in 1514. He explored present-day Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras during the 1520s. Later he journeyed to Peru with Pizarro, returning to Spain in 1535. He set out again in 1538, this time for Cuba, where he was named Governor of the island. From Cuba he traveled to Florida, exploring inland to the north and west. Hernando de Soto was the first European to see the Mississippi River. He died of a fever in 1541, the Mississippi River served as his final resting place
• Sebastián de Soto, who sailed to America in 1515
• Pedro de Soto, who sailed to Peru in 1534
• Diego de Soto, who sailed to Florida in 1538
• … (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Soto Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Antonio De Soto, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1802 4
• Jose De Soto, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 4
• Rodrigo De Soto, who landed in America in 1810 4
• Maria De Soto, who landed in America in 1812 4
• Melchor De Soto, who arrived in San Juan Island in 1812 4