Find out how popular the last name Sorrell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sorrell.

Sorrell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sorrell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sorrell in America

Sorrell is the 4104th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sorrell surname appeared 8,641 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Sorrell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sorrell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sorrell

The surname Sorrell originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old French word 'sorel' meaning 'reddish-brown'. It likely referred to someone with reddish-brown hair or complexion. The name first appeared in records in the 12th century, with early spellings including Sorel, Sorrell, and Surrell.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1190, which mention a William Sorel. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list several individuals bearing the surname Sorrell, indicating its presence in various parts of England at that time.

In the 14th century, the surname Sorrell appears in the Placita de Quo Warranto records of 1346, which document legal proceedings related to land ownership. This suggests that some Sorrell families held property and were of notable status during that era.

The Sorrell name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Ralph Sorrell, a 14th-century knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in Nottinghamshire in 1382.

In the 16th century, William Sorrell (c. 1535-1598) was a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Skinners in London. He served as the company's Master in 1589 and was involved in international trade.

During the English Civil War, Colonel William Sorrell (c. 1610-1677) was a Parliamentarian officer who fought alongside Oliver Cromwell and played a role in the capture of Berkhamsted Castle in 1643.

In the 18th century, Thomas Sorrell (1701-1770) was a renowned English landscape architect and garden designer. He worked on several notable projects, including the gardens at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

Another noteworthy bearer of the Sorrell surname was Sir Arthur Sorrell (1871-1960), a British military officer who served in World War I and later became Chief of the Imperial General Staff in the 1930s.

The surname Sorrell has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Sorrell Barn in Hertfordshire and Sorrell's Moor in Northumberland, further highlighting its deep roots in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sorrell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sorrell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sorrell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sorrell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sorrell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sorrell, please contact us.

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