NameCensus.

UK surname

Soule

A French occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Soule surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Stroud and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Soule is 129 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

2002

129 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Soule had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Soule surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Soule surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Soule 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 96 #24,559
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 119 #25,413
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

Back to top

Where Soules 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 Swindon, Stroud, Cotswold, Wychavon and Thurrock. 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 Swindon 001 Swindon
2 Stroud 005 Stroud
3 Cotswold 005 Cotswold
4 Wychavon 018 Wychavon
5 Thurrock 018 Thurrock

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Soule

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Soule

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Soule, 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 Soule surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Soule 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Soule is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Soule is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Soule falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Soule

The surname Soule originates from the Normandy region of France, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "soule," which means "sun" or "sunny." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone with a sunny disposition or someone who had a sunny complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Soule surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Soules." This was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The name is thought to have been introduced to England by Norman settlers during this period.

In the 12th century, the surname Soule can be found in various records from the Normandy region of France, such as charters and land grants. One notable figure from this time was Robert Soule, who was a landowner in the village of Villebadin in the late 1100s.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings, including Soules, Soulis, and Soulles. In Scotland, there is a record of a family named Soulis who held lands in the Scottish Borders region in the 13th century. This family was influential in the region and was involved in various conflicts and battles during that time.

In the 14th century, the Soule surname began appearing in records from England, particularly in the counties of Devon and Cornwall. One famous bearer of the name was Sir John Soule, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France in the mid-1300s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Soule name continued to spread across Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable figure was George Soule, who was a passenger on the Mayflower and one of the original Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth Colony in 1620.

Other notable individuals with the Soule surname include:

1. Nathaniel Soule (1670-1745), an American lawyer and judge who served as a justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. 2. Silas Soule (1838-1865), an American soldier who served in the American Civil War and was killed for his role in exposing the Sand Creek Massacre. 3. Caroline Soule (1819-1903), an American educator and author who founded several schools for women in the mid-19th century. 4. Charles Soule (born 1975), an American comic book writer and novelist known for his work on various Marvel and DC Comics titles. 5. Ella Soule (1859-1942), an American artist known for her landscape paintings and her association with the Hudson River School of painters.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Soule families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Soule 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 27 Soules recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.57x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 27 18.57x
Surrey 11 3.05x
Middlesex 9 1.21x
Glamorgan 8 6.20x
Yorkshire 8 1.09x
Somerset 3 2.51x
Sussex 3 2.40x
Hampshire 2 1.32x
Wiltshire 2 3.05x
Durham 1 0.45x
Royal Navy 1 11.33x
Warwickshire 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coates in Gloucestershire leads with 11 Soules recorded in 1881 and an index of 9166.67x.

Place Total Index
Coates 11 9166.67x
Holy Trinity 8 45.27x
Llandaff 7 163.17x
Northleach 7 3333.33x
Battersea 5 18.34x
Croydon 4 19.95x
St Marylebone London 3 7.58x
Longney 2 1818.18x
Mile End Old Town 2 17.09x
Newnham 2 540.54x
Portsea 2 6.72x
Shermanbury 2 2222.22x
St Mary Aldermanbury 2 5000.00x
Swindon 2 39.37x
Walcot 2 31.50x
Aston 1 1.94x
Battle 1 119.05x
Bedminster 1 8.92x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 20.62x
Cardiff St Mary 1 14.06x
Charlton Kings 1 99.01x
Down Hatherley 1 2000.00x
Elmore 1 1111.11x
Gateshead 1 6.06x
Gloucester Barton St 1 117.65x
Islington London 1 1.39x
Long Ditton 1 169.49x
Putney 1 29.59x
Royal Navy 1 13.25x
Westminster St James 1 13.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 4
Emma 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Blanche 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Helen 1
Hellen 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Mellicent 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
George 5
John 4
William 4
Frank 2
Albert 1
Bernard 1
Cornelius 1
Emmanual 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
James 1
Josep 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Norman 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Sydney 1
Thomas 1
Willing 1

FAQ

Soule surname: questions and answers

How common was the Soule surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Soule surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Soule surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Soule a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Soule surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler.

What does the Soule map show?

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