Frequency: (1812)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Eastern German and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Slavic sobol ‘sable’, Yiddish soybl, a type of marten with handsome black fur. As a German name this is either a nickname for someone thought to resemble a sable (for example, someone with sleek black hair), or an occupational name for a fur trader; as a Jewish name it is generally ornamental.
GIVEN NAMES: Jewish 5%. Sol (5), Avner, Chanina, Gerson, Herschel, Hershel, Heshy, Isadore, Meyer, Miriam, Mort, Pesach.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
