Sok Family History

Korean (Sŏk): there are three Chinese characters for this surname. One of these is so rare that it does not warrant treatment here. One of the remaining two characters is used by the Wŏlsŏng (or Kyŏngju) Sŏk clan which provided the Shilla kingdom with eight of its 56 kings. Nowadays most members of this clan live in South Korea's Ch’ungch’ŏng South province, Chŏlla North province, and in the old Shilla capital, Kyŏngju, located in Kyŏngsang North province.

There are two clans which use the remaining Sŏk character. The Haeju Sŏk clan's founding ancestor, Sŏk Sŏng, was of Chinese extraction and held an important government post in Ming China. When Hideyoshi led the Japanese in an attack against Korea in 1592, Sŏk Sŏng was part of the Ming forces sent to help defend Korea. Sŏng distinguished himself on the battlefield, and his son, Sŏk Tam, later migrated to Korea and was given a royal land grant in the Haeju area.

The Ch’ungju Sŏk clan's founding ancestor was Sŏk In, an important Koryŏ general who lived in the late 10th century. Sŏk is a fairly common surname and can be found throughout the Korean peninsula. Compare Seok and Suk.

Cambodian: written សុខ from a Khmer word of Sanskrit and Pali origin, meaning e.g. ‘happy’ and ‘joy, pleasure’. Cambodian: written សុខ of Chinese origin from 索 see Suo and compare 5 below. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 束 see Shu. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 索 see Suo.

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 宿 and 粟 see Su. Slovenian: probably a nickname for a strong man from archaic sok ‘knar’. Compare Sock. Sorbian: nickname or metonymic occupational name from sok ‘lentil’. This surname is found mainly in Germanized forms Sock and Socke.