2000
#541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,391
First available Census row
Per 100,000 20.53
Uncommon Last name
Summers
An occupational surname referring to a person who worked during the summer months or lived at a summer pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 62,529 Americans carry the last name Summers. That puts it at #600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 18.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,482 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Summers surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Summers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
63K
1 in 5,482
Census rank
#600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
18.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
55K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 54,528 bearers of the surname Summers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 18.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Summers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Summers
The surname Summers has its origins in England, where it emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period, typically referring to someone who worked during the summer season. The name is derived from the Old English word "sumor," meaning summer.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Summers can be traced back to the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a William le Sumer is mentioned in Oxfordshire. This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames across various counties in England.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a John Sumer is listed. This record, dating back to 1327, further solidifies the presence of the name in different regions of England.
The Summers surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This invaluable historical document contains references to various place names, including Sumerleyton in Suffolk, which may have influenced the development of the surname.
One notable individual bearing the Summers surname was Sir George Summers (c. 1554-1610), an English naval officer and colonist who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts in Virginia. He was part of the expedition that established the Jamestown colony in 1607.
Another prominent figure was Sir James Summers (1828-1891), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Gambia from 1876 to 1881.
Montague Summers (1880-1948), an English author and clergyman, is known for his works on occult and supernatural themes, including his seminal book "The Vampire: His Kith and Kin" published in 1928.
In the literary realm, Dorothy Summers (1913-2000) was a British novelist and children's writer, renowned for her works such as "The Unloved" and "The Turret Room."
Lastly, the American artist Diane Summers (1925-2020) gained recognition for her vibrant abstract expressionist paintings, which explored themes of nature and the human experience.
Throughout its history, the Summers surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Somer, Sommer, and Somers, reflecting regional differences and language evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Summers
Among Census respondents with the surname Summers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Summers bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Summers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 41,280
- Black or African American14.5% · 7,896
- Two or more races4.6% · 2,528
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,895
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 529
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 400
Timeline
Historical Census data for Summers
Summers appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 56,953
+1,562 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 19.31
Rank movement Down 50 places
2020
#600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 54,528
-2,425 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 18.24
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #541 | 55,391 | 20.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #591 | 56,953 | 19.31 | +1,562 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 50 places |
| 2020 | #600 | 54,528 | 18.24 | -2,425 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 9 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Summers surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #591 | #600 | -1.5% |
| Count | 56,953 | 54,528 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 19.31 | 18.24 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Summers bearers went from 56,953 to 54,528 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #591 to #600.
FAQ
Summers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Summers?
Name Census estimates that about 62,529 living Americans carry the surname Summers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,482 residents.
How common is Summers?
Summers ranks #600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 18.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 18 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 54,528 people with the surname Summers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (62,529), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 18.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 18.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 18 of them to have the surname Summers.
Has Summers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Summers went from 56,953 recorded bearers to 54,528. That is a decrease of 2,425 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #591 to #600.
What does the Census say about the background of Summers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Summers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Summers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (41,280 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Summers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (14.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Summers (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Summers mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who worked during the summer months or lived at a summer pasture. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Summers (18.24 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Summers?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.