NameCensus.

UK surname

Soles

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a pond, pool, or muddy place.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Soles surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 72, ranked #33,585, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Forest, West Berkshire and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Soles is 115 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 37.4%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

72

2016, ranked #33,585

Peak year

1881

115 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Soles had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 72 in 2016, ranked #33,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 115 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Soles surname distribution map

The map shows where the Soles surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Soles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Soles over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 102 #16,933
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 103 #23,558
1901 historical 90 #24,021
1911 historical 93 #23,492
1997 modern 79 #29,672
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 99 #27,906
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 84 #29,982
2003 modern 78 #30,654
2004 modern 72 #31,488
2005 modern 69 #32,007
2006 modern 64 #32,839
2007 modern 68 #32,760
2008 modern 66 #33,217
2009 modern 66 #33,538
2010 modern 72 #33,324
2011 modern 76 #32,989
2012 modern 77 #33,124
2013 modern 74 #33,483
2014 modern 72 #33,647
2015 modern 73 #33,541
2016 modern 72 #33,585

Geography

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Where Soles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Kings Norton, Eastleach Martin and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Forest, West Berkshire, Walsall, West Oxfordshire and Coventry. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Eastleach Martin Gloucestershire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Forest 019 New Forest
2 West Berkshire 002 West Berkshire
3 Walsall 015 Walsall
4 West Oxfordshire 001 West Oxfordshire
5 Coventry 029 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Soles

These lists show first names that appear often with the Soles surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Soles

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Soles, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Soles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Soles household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Soles is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Soles is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Soles falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Soles is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Soles, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Soles

The surname SOLES has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "sola," which means "sole" or "bottom of the foot." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a particular trade or occupation related to footwear or shoe-making.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SOLES surname can be found in the "Libro de la Cofradía de la Vera Cruz," a manuscript dating back to the 15th century that documented the members of a religious brotherhood in the Spanish city of Seville. This record mentions a certain "Juan de Soles" who was a member of this brotherhood.

The SOLES surname also appears in various historical documents from the Spanish Inquisition, which took place between the 15th and 19th centuries. These records often provide valuable insights into the lives and origins of families during that period.

Notable individuals with the SOLES surname include:

1. Francisco de Soles (c. 1520-1588), a Spanish painter and sculptor from Seville, known for his works in religious art and architectural decoration.

2. Juan de Soles (fl. 1650), a Spanish playwright and poet from Madrid, whose works were widely performed in the 17th century.

3. Pedro de Soles (c. 1600-1670), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied several expeditions to the Americas and the Pacific Ocean.

4. Maria de Soles (c. 1630-1705), a Spanish nun and mystic from Córdoba, renowned for her visions and spiritual writings.

5. Antonio de Soles y Rivadeneyra (1644-1718), a Spanish nobleman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the court of Louis XIV in France.

While the SOLES surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration. Various spellings and variations of the name, such as Soler, Solé, and Sola, can also be found in different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Soles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Soles surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Gloucestershire leads with 31 Soles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.09x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 31 14.09x
Kent 29 7.58x
Huntingdonshire 18 80.83x
Nottinghamshire 12 7.94x
Leicestershire 5 4.02x
Worcestershire 5 3.41x
Middlesex 3 0.27x
Oxfordshire 3 4.33x
Derbyshire 2 1.14x
Lincolnshire 2 1.12x
Yorkshire 2 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.95x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.81x
Staffordshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Somersham in Huntingdonshire leads with 15 Soles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2777.78x.

Place Total Index
Somersham 15 2777.78x
Eastleach Martin 10 16666.67x
Ringwould 10 3030.30x
Nottingham St Mary 9 23.01x
Ickham Well 6 2727.27x
Woodchester 6 1714.29x
Buckminster 5 5000.00x
Gloucester Barton St 5 387.60x
Kings Norton 5 38.05x
Deptford St Paul 4 13.55x
Elklstone 4 4444.44x
Sibertswold 4 2000.00x
Burton Joyce 3 1153.85x
Lyneham 3 3750.00x
Ashford 2 53.62x
Bristol St George 2 19.65x
Derby St Alkmund 2 38.02x
Eastleach Turville 2 1176.47x
Hemingford Grey 2 588.24x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.05x
Chartham 1 105.26x
Elmstone 1 5000.00x
Grantham 1 42.74x
Harrow 1 58.48x
Horsley 1 103.09x
Hubberston 1 192.31x
Islington London 1 0.92x
Ramsey 1 56.18x
Southcoates 1 16.21x
Stonehouse 1 80.00x
Sutton St Mary 1 58.82x
Thurlstone 1 90.91x
Warkworth 1 105.26x
Wingham 1 227.27x
Wolverhampton 1 3.43x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Soles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Emma 5
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Harriet 3
Mary 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Catherine 1
Delcey 1
Eleanor 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Selina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Soles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 10
Thomas 7
Charles 6
John 6
Henry 5
George 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
Albert 1
Alfd.W. 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Soles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Soles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Soles surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Soles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 72 in 2016. That gives Soles a modern rank of #33,585.

What does the Soles surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a pond, pool, or muddy place.

What does the Soles map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Soles bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.