NameCensus.

UK surname

Sorenson

Derived from the Scandinavian patronymic name "Sǿrenssǿn," meaning "son of Sǿren" (Sǿren being a Danish form of Severinus).

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Sorenson surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Milton Keynes, Thurrock and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sorenson is 152 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 164.7%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

2010

152 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sorenson had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 66 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sorenson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sorenson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sorenson 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
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 66 #28,541
1901 historical 31 #30,616
1911 historical 28 #30,296
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 151 #21,578
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 139 #22,991
2003 modern 131 #23,553
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 123 #24,663
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 152 #23,282
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Sorensons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Milton Keynes, Thurrock, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Milton Keynes 024 Milton Keynes
2 Thurrock 003 Thurrock
3 Kingston upon Hull 017 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 003 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Kensington and Chelsea 012 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sorenson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sorenson

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sorenson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sorenson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Sorenson 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

Sorenson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sorenson falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sorenson

The surname Sorenson is of Scandinavian origin, specifically Danish and Norwegian. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally derived from the given name of the father or an ancestor. Sorenson translates to "son of Soren" or "son of Soren." Soren is a variant of the name Severin, which is derived from the Latin name Severinus, meaning "stern" or "severe."

The Sorenson surname is believed to have first appeared in Denmark and Norway during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. It was common in these regions for surnames to be formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the father's given name, creating a patronymic surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sorenson surname is found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and documents. In this collection, there are references to individuals with the surname Sorenson dating back to the 14th century.

Another notable historical reference is the appearance of the Sorenson surname in the Icelandic sagas, which are prose narratives written in Old Norse that recount the lives of Icelandic families and their ancestors. Several characters with the surname Sorenson are mentioned in these sagas, which date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Sorenson:

1. Hans Sorenson (1539-1623), a Danish admiral and naval officer who served under King Christian IV of Denmark. 2. Peter Sorenson (1776-1859), a Norwegian-American farmer and pioneer who was one of the first Norwegian settlers in the Midwest region of the United States. 3. Theodore Sorenson (1928-2010), an American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser who served as a speechwriter and counsel for President John F. Kennedy. 4. Lene Sorenson (born 1952), a Danish author and journalist known for her novels and children's books. 5. Bjarne Stroustrup (born 1950), a Danish computer scientist and the designer and original implementer of the C++ programming language. Stroustrup was born Bjarne Sorenson but later changed his surname.

The Sorenson surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Scandinavia. For example, the village of Sorenson in Denmark is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating that it was likely founded or settled by individuals with that surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sorenson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sorenson 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. Middlesex leads with 8 Sorensons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 8 1.61x
Durham 7 4.73x
Lancashire 6 1.02x
Northumberland 6 8.11x
Glamorgan 5 5.78x
Midlothian 5 7.51x
Surrey 5 2.06x
Yorkshire 3 0.61x
Inverness-shire 2 13.47x
Cheshire 1 0.91x
Huntingdonshire 1 10.13x
Kent 1 0.59x
Sussex 1 1.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stranton in Durham leads with 7 Sorensons recorded in 1881 and an index of 140.56x.

Place Total Index
Stranton 7 140.56x
Kensington London 6 21.71x
Earsdon 5 833.33x
South Leith 4 53.33x
Swansea Town 4 56.34x
Wandsworth 4 83.51x
Liverpool 3 8.37x
Walton On Hill 3 93.75x
Holy Trinity 2 16.88x
Paddington London 2 10.94x
Boleskine Abertarff 1 400.00x
Camberwell 1 3.15x
Cardiff St Mary 1 20.96x
Fort Augustusor 1 10000.00x
Hove 1 27.17x
Leith North 1 769.23x
Middlesbrough 1 15.58x
North Shields 1 67.57x
Ramsgate 1 36.10x
St Neots 1 185.19x
Wallasey 1 270.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Carline 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Elizth. 1
Julianna 1
Kirstine 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Marie 1
Mary 1
Mathilda 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Peter 5
Soren 4
James 3
Andrew 1
Anlon 1
Carl 1
Christian 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Jacob 1
John 1
Laurits 1
Max 1
Neils 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sorenson households.

FAQ

Sorenson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sorenson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Sorenson surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sorenson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Sorenson a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Sorenson surname mean?

Derived from the Scandinavian patronymic name "Sǿrenssǿn," meaning "son of Sǿren" (Sǿren being a Danish form of Severinus).

What does the Sorenson map show?

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