Sok Family History

Korean (Sok): 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 Wolsong (or Kyongju) Sok 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’ong South province, Cholla North province, and in the old Shilla capital, Kyongju, located in Kyongsang North province. There are two clans which use the remaining Sok character. The Haeju Sok clan’s founding ancestor, Sok Song, 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, Sok Song was part of the Ming forces sent to help defend Korea. Song distinguished himself on the battlefield, and his son, Sok Tam, later migrated to Korea and was given a royal land grant in the Haeju area. The Ch’ungju Sok clan’s founding ancestor was Sok In, an important Koryo general, who lived in the late 10th century. Sok is a fairly common surname and can be found throughout the Korean peninsula. Cambodian: unexplained.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press