Fun Facts About the Name Sorrel
- 112 babies named Sorrel: U.S. records list 112 babies given the name Sorrel from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Sorrel Mean?
Sorrel is an English word name. Its usual sense is the common name of a sour-tasting herb, garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and its relatives; it is also the English word for a reddish-brown or chestnut color. These are two separate words that happen to look and sound alike.
The plant name comes from Old French surele, a diminutive built on sur, "sour," which is Germanic in origin and related to German sauer and English sour. Literally it means something like "little sour one," a description of the plant's acidic leaves. The color word instead comes from Old French sorel, from sor, "reddish brown, tawny," also Germanic in origin; it names the coat color of horses and the shade of certain hair and cloth. The plant sense is the derivation usually given for the name, while the color sense supplies a secondary association.
Sorrel Name History & Origins
The word sorrel entered English in the Middle Ages from Old French, and both its plant sense and its color sense are long established in the language. Sorrel was a familiar pot-herb in medieval and early modern England: its sharp leaves went into soups and into green sauce, and the plant appears in herbals and household recipe collections. The color sense was equally common because sorrel is a standard term for a reddish-brown horse, so the word was widely known through cooking and horsemanship alike.
As a personal name, Sorrel belongs to the English tradition of word and nature names rather than to the older stock of saints' names. It has been used mainly for girls, and less often for boys, but it remains uncommon. The similar surname Sorrell is better attested and is generally explained as a nickname for someone with reddish-brown hair, taken from the color word. The American actor Sorrell Booke is a modern example of the name used as a given name.
How Popular is the Name Sorrel?
Sorrel has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #9,595 in 1973.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,021 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #14,992 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #11,050 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #17,194 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #15,431 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #15,694 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #12,869 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #12,930 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #18,928 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #19,196 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #20,086 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #19,683 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #12,609 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #18,054 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #14,195 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #15,559 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #15,439 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #9,595 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Sorrel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Sorrel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sorrel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.