NameCensus.

UK surname

Soul

A surname derived from the word for the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being.

In the 1881 census there were 173 people recorded with the Soul surname, ranking it #14,112 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, down from #14,112 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northleach, Barking and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Milton Keynes, Wiltshire and Redbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Soul is 251 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.9%.

1881 census count

173

Ranked #14,112

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

2014

251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Soul had 173 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,112 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 247 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Soul surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Soul surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Soul 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 145 #13,223
1861 historical 223 #10,942
1881 historical 173 #14,112
1891 historical 200 #14,913
1901 historical 192 #15,518
1911 historical 247 #13,016
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 221 #17,021
1999 modern 222 #17,080
2000 modern 230 #16,644
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 227 #16,877
2003 modern 222 #16,942
2004 modern 219 #17,180
2005 modern 215 #17,334
2006 modern 213 #17,563
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 228 #17,486
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 232 #17,401
2013 modern 249 #16,825
2014 modern 251 #16,865
2015 modern 249 #16,858
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Souls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northleach, Barking, London parishes, Olney, Lavendon and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Milton Keynes, Wiltshire, Redbridge and Birmingham. 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 Northleach Gloucestershire
2 Barking Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Olney, Lavendon Buckinghamshire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Milton Keynes 002 Milton Keynes
2 Wiltshire 038 Wiltshire
3 Milton Keynes 001 Milton Keynes
4 Redbridge 008 Redbridge
5 Birmingham 133 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Soul

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Soul

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Soul is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Soul is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Soul 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 Soul 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 Soul, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Soul

The surname SOUL originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "sol" or "sole," meaning "muddy place" or "dark soil." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a marshy or swampy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SOUL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a person named William Sole is mentioned. The surname also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, which mentions a Thomas Sole.

During the 13th century, the name SOUL was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Devon. Some place names associated with the surname include Soulbury in Buckinghamshire and Souldern in Oxfordshire, both of which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname SOUL throughout history include:

1. William Soul (c. 1550-1615), an English clergyman and theological writer. 2. John Soul (1611-1693), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. 3. Mary Soul (1768-1838), a British horticulturist and botanical illustrator known for her work on the flora of Madeira. 4. Thomas Soul (1780-1860), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. 5. James Soul (1816-1892), a Scottish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh.

The surname SOUL has also been subject to various spelling variations over the centuries, including Sole, Soule, Soll, and Sowell. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences that shaped the name's evolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Soul families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Soul 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 Souls recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.42x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 31 9.42x
Wiltshire 31 20.89x
Middlesex 29 1.73x
Lancashire 22 1.11x
Essex 11 3.32x
Kent 10 1.75x
Dorset 6 5.45x
Northumberland 6 2.40x
Surrey 5 0.61x
Staffordshire 4 0.71x
Cheshire 3 0.81x
Huntingdonshire 3 9.01x
Lincolnshire 3 1.12x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.97x
Berkshire 1 0.79x
Hampshire 1 0.29x
Isle of Man 1 3.21x
Monmouthshire 1 0.82x
Northamptonshire 1 0.63x
Sussex 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Amesbury in Wiltshire leads with 13 Souls recorded in 1881 and an index of 2000.00x.

Place Total Index
Amesbury 13 2000.00x
Liverpool 12 9.92x
Eisey 11 12222.22x
Cheltenham 9 35.45x
St Michael Paternoster 9 15000.00x
Mile End Old Town 8 30.21x
Sherborne 8 2424.24x
Barking 7 72.24x
Corsham 7 322.58x
Deptford St Paul 6 13.59x
Morpeth 6 204.08x
Poole St James 6 144.93x
Westbury On Trym 6 53.81x
Northleach 5 1020.41x
West Derby 5 8.59x
Aldridge 4 366.97x
Everton 4 6.30x
Shoreditch London 4 5.50x
West Ham 4 5.47x
Bisley 3 100.67x
Hornsey 3 14.14x
Lewisham 3 9.83x
St Neots 3 165.75x
Tydd St Mary 3 566.04x
Birkenhead 2 6.78x
Camberwell 2 1.87x
Olney 2 142.86x
Battersea 1 1.62x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.37x
Buriton 1 151.52x
Great Crosby 1 18.42x
Lambeth 1 0.68x
Lee 1 12.03x
Lower Bebington 1 45.45x
Monmouth 1 31.06x
Northampton St Giles 1 16.64x
Onchan 1 11.15x
Paddington London 1 1.62x
St Bartholomew Less 1 116.28x
St Martin In Fields 1 9.96x
St Marylebone London 1 1.12x
Wivelsfield 1 90.09x
Woking 1 20.28x
Wokingham 1 34.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 8
Eliza 5
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Harriet 4
Sarah 4
Martha 3
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Kate 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Clementina 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Juliana 1
Lillie 1
Lousia 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Naomi 1
Rosa 1
Rosannd 1
Rose 1
Worathea 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 10
Thomas 7
Charles 5
Arthur 4
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Benjamine 1
Charlie 1
Chas.R. 1
Cornelius 1
Edmund 1
Eli 1
Eric 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Gervase 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Infant 1
Ivor 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Oliver 1
Raymond 1
Saml. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Soul surname: questions and answers

How common was the Soul surname in 1881?

In 1881, 173 people were recorded with the Soul surname. That placed it at #14,112 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Soul surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Soul a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Soul surname mean?

A surname derived from the word for the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being.

What does the Soul map show?

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