Save Type Surname (from location) Usage Japanese Scripts 曽根, 素根, 曾禰(Japanese Kanji) Pronounced Pron. SO-NEH [key] Meaning & History From Japanese 曾 or 曽 (so) meaning "great- (as in great-grandparent)" or 素 (so) meaning "plain, basic" combined with 根 (ne) meaning "plant root, foundation, base".