The Sorrell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,641 people carried this name — #4,104 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 34,100 people counted. That is up 6% from 8,170 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sorrell surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the sorel’.

An early record he cites: John Sorel, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Sorrel and Sorrell.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 703 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Sorrell was found among the farmers of Essex: 30 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Essex 30

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

18 families named Sorrell, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 103 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 14
New York 2
Pennsylvania 1
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 262 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Sorrell in American newspapers,
1905–1924.

Newspaper page from New Britain Herald carrying the name Sorrell
New Britain Herald 1924-05-28
Newspaper page from The Colorado Statesman carrying the name Sorrell
The Colorado Statesman 1912-02-03
Newspaper page from The News & Observer carrying the name Sorrell
The News & Observer 1905-06-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 33,629 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Sorrell in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

5,971 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sorrell. The most, 1,034, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,009
South Australia 2,003
Victoria 761
Western Australia 649
Queensland 333
Tasmania 181
ACT (Canberra) 23
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sorrell.

Who carried it

People named Sorrell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Maurice Sorrell d. 1998 · photographer
  • Charles Sorrell 1855–1932 · photographer
  • William Edwin Sorrell 1856–1933 · photographer
  • Florence Ellen Sorrell 1877–1964
  • Herbert Sorrell 1897–1973 · trade unionist
  • Alan Sorrell 1904–1974 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Sorrell,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States516 records

516 records of the Sorrell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 314
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 119
  • Other U.S. records 83
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Levell Sorrell

    Born 1912 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1941 at Camp Shelby; farm hand from Prentiss County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Corinth National Cemetery, Mississippi.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Sherman Amos Sorrell

    Born 1942; from Morrisonville, New York. U.S. Army, cannon fire direction specialist; killed in action 1967 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hans Sorrell

    Arrived at New York in 1868 aboard the City of Paris from Liverpool, aged 43; laborer. From Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 516 records for Sorrell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia169 records

169 records of the Sorrell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 80
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 37
  • Other Australian records 52
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Sorrell

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hibernia, sailing from Portsmouth in 1818. Native of Kent. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robert Sorrell

    Arrived in Queensland in 1886 aboard the Duke of Westminster, aged 6.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Carl Alfred Sorrell

    Super'td of works of Altona, Victoria; died 1995.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 169 records for Sorrell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Sorrell name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Sorrell

    Buried in 1832 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 38.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. A. Sorrell

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Sorrell

    Corporal, Ike of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Sorrell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada8 records

8 records of the Sorrell name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ellen Christine Sorrell

    Buried in 1991 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 54.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Samuel Sorrell

    Died 1926 in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Wallace Sorrell

    Died in service in 1945.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 8 records for Sorrell in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Sorrell name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gladys Gwendolyn Sorrell

    Died 1937, aged 42; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Walter Chas Louis Sorrell

    Died 1946, aged 75; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Sorrell

    Died 1935, aged 76; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Sorrell in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sorrell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sorrell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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