NameCensus.

UK surname

Sore

A surname derived from the Greek word "soros" meaning a coffin or sarcophagus.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Sore surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 213, ranked #18,785, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew and Great Holland, Frinton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, St Edmundsbury and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sore is 251 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.1%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

213

2016, ranked #18,785

Peak year

2000

251 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sore had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016, ranked #18,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 197 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Sore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sore surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sore 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 149 #18,146
1911 historical 197 #15,101
1997 modern 244 #15,520
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 241 #16,179
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 247 #15,637
2002 modern 245 #16,041
2003 modern 236 #16,236
2004 modern 225 #16,882
2005 modern 218 #17,170
2006 modern 212 #17,612
2007 modern 222 #17,288
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 244 #17,056
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 228 #17,977
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 213 #18,785

Geography

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Where Sores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew, Great Holland, Frinton, Lambeth and Haughley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, St Edmundsbury and East Cambridgeshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk
3 Great Holland, Frinton Essex
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Haughley Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
2 St Edmundsbury 004 St Edmundsbury
3 Forest Heath 008 Forest Heath
4 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
5 St Edmundsbury 006 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sore

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sore

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sore, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Sore surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sore household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Sore is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Sore 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

Sore falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sore 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 Sore, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sore

The surname Sore has its origins in the medieval French language, derived from the Old French word "sore," which meant "reddish-brown" or "chestnut-colored." The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany.

During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, many French-speaking Normans accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of the British Isles. It is possible that individuals bearing the surname Sore were among these early Norman settlers, and the name later spread to other regions through migration and trade.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Sore can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the year 1195, where a person named Robert Sore was listed. This document provides valuable historical evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of Wiltshire, England, where a Richard Sore was mentioned in 1349. This record suggests that the surname had gained a foothold in different parts of England by that time.

Notably, the surname Sore is linked to several place names in England, such as Sore Hill in Derbyshire and Sore Brook in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the surname's development or vice versa, as surnames were often derived from locations or geographical features.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Sore throughout history are:

1. John Sore (c. 1470-1535), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Warden of New College, Oxford, from 1524 until his death.

2. William Sore (c. 1550-1612), a renowned English painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works during the late Renaissance period.

3. Margaret Sore (c. 1580-1640), a prominent English writer and poet whose works explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.

4. Thomas Sore (c. 1620-1692), a influential English architect and surveyor who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the Old Bailey courthouse.

5. Elizabeth Sore (c. 1675-1738), a celebrated English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the early 18th century.

While the surname Sore may have evolved over time and acquired different spellings or variations across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the medieval French language and the early Norman settlements in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sore 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. Suffolk leads with 46 Sores recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.10x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 46 33.10x
Surrey 24 4.32x
Essex 10 4.44x
Middlesex 9 0.79x
Yorkshire 8 0.71x
Lancashire 6 0.44x
Northumberland 5 2.95x
Berkshire 4 4.67x
Sussex 3 1.56x
Hampshire 2 0.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 19 Sores recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.10x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 19 19.10x
Haughley 10 2857.14x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 8 306.51x
Eccleshill 7 254.55x
Hartest 7 2916.67x
Bethnal Green London 6 12.10x
Colchester St Giles 6 269.06x
Glemsford 6 612.24x
Long Melford 6 465.12x
Skerton 6 540.54x
Byker 5 59.59x
Brighton 3 7.73x
Bury St Edmunds St James 3 80.86x
Boxford 2 769.23x
Clapham 2 14.02x
Lavenham 2 273.97x
Portsea 2 4.36x
Reading St Mary 2 29.15x
South Weald 2 103.63x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 8.71x
Tilehurst 2 115.61x
Acton 1 434.78x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 1 344.83x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.71x
East Bergholt 1 217.39x
Great Oakley 1 277.78x
Islington London 1 0.90x
Reigate Foreign 1 16.61x
St Marylebone London 1 1.64x
York St Mary 1 21.37x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Alfred 6
Charles 5
George 4
John 3
Ezekiel 2
Henry 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Cornelius 1
E. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ezekeil 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.Alfred 1
Herbert 1
Jeremiah 1
Olley 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Sore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Sore surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016. That gives Sore a modern rank of #18,785.

What does the Sore surname mean?

A surname derived from the Greek word "soros" meaning a coffin or sarcophagus.

What does the Sore map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sore 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.