2000
#5,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,684
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.11
Rare Last name
Sorrells
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a person with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,337 Americans carry the last name Sorrells. That puts it at #5,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,088 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sorrells surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,088
Census rank
#5,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,526 bearers of the surname Sorrells in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sorrells, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sorrells
The surname Sorrells originated in England and traces its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "sorel," meaning reddish-brown, which was likely used as a nickname for someone with reddish-brown hair or complexion.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records and historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Sorel." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1212, which mention a certain William Sorel. This document provides valuable insight into the geographical distribution of the name during that period.
The surname Sorrells is also associated with several place names in England, including Sorrells in Berkshire and Sorrells Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names may have influenced the surname's spelling and contributed to its regional variations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Sorrells. One such figure was Sir John Sorrells (c. 1395-1460), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the Wars of the Roses.
Another prominent individual was Francis Sorrells (1619-1694), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and the development of the Gregorian calendar.
In the literary realm, Marguerite Sorrells (1826-1892) was a French author and poet known for her works exploring social issues and women's rights during the 19th century.
Across the Atlantic, Samuel Sorrells (1768-1842) was an American frontiersman and explorer who played a pivotal role in the westward expansion of the United States, particularly in the exploration of the Rocky Mountains.
Finally, in the field of art, William Sorrells (1855-1924) was a renowned American painter celebrated for his landscape and genre paintings, capturing the beauty of rural life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These individuals, spanning various professions and eras, exemplify the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the surname Sorrells.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sorrells
Among Census respondents with the surname Sorrells, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sorrells bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sorrells surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 4,151
- Black or African American15.5% · 856
- Two or more races4.6% · 256
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 166
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sorrells
Sorrells appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,921
+237 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Down 244 places
2020
#5,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,526
-395 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,599 | 5,684 | 2.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,843 | 5,921 | 2.01 | +237 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 244 places |
| 2020 | #5,998 | 5,526 | 1.85 | -395 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 155 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sorrells surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,843 | #5,998 | -2.7% |
| Count | 5,921 | 5,526 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.01 | 1.85 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sorrells bearers went from 5,921 to 5,526 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,843 to #5,998.
FAQ
Sorrells surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sorrells?
Name Census estimates that about 6,337 living Americans carry the surname Sorrells. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,088 residents.
How common is Sorrells?
Sorrells ranks #5,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,526 people with the surname Sorrells. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sorrells.
Has Sorrells become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sorrells went from 5,921 recorded bearers to 5,526. That is a decrease of 395 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,843 to #5,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Sorrells?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sorrells, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sorrells in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (4,151 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sorrells appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Black (15.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sorrells (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sorrells mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a person with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sorrells (1.85 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Sorrells?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.