Somer
A feminine given name potentially inspired by the season of summer.
Name Census estimates that about 2,130 living Americans carry the first name Somer. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Somer today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Somer births was 1978 (152 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Somer. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 160,918 Americans
Peak year
1978
152 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,249
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Somer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Somer from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 747 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Somer by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Somer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Somers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Somer, while New York, Iowa, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Somer
The given name Somer is believed to have its origins in the Old English language. It is derived from the Old English word "sumor," which means "summer." This name likely emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
The name Somer is thought to be a reference to the season of summer, possibly given to children born during the warmer months of the year. It may have also been used as a descriptive name, referring to someone with a warm or sunny disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Somer can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Somer, though it is unclear if this was a first name or a surname.
In the Middle Ages, the name Somer appeared in various forms, such as Somere and Sommer, in various parts of Europe. A notable historical figure with this name was Somer de Lecchelade, a 13th-century English knight who fought in the Barons' War against King Henry III.
During the Renaissance period, the name Somer gained some popularity in England and other parts of Europe. One notable bearer of this name was Somer West, an English politician and Member of Parliament who lived from 1593 to 1668.
In the 18th century, the name Somer was used by the German philosopher and writer Somer Hieronymus Lorm, who was born in 1717 and is known for his contributions to the Enlightenment movement.
Another famous bearer of the name Somer was the American author and poet Somer Browne, who lived from 1768 to 1830 and is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Foresters."
In the 19th century, the name Somer was used by the British artist and illustrator Somer Macdonald, who was born in 1838 and is renowned for his illustrations in various books and magazines.
While the name Somer has been used throughout history, it has never been a particularly common or popular name in any specific region or culture. However, it remains a unique and intriguing name with a fascinating linguistic and historical background.
People
Somer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Somer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Somer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Somer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,130 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Somer going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 160,918 US residents.
Is Somer a common name?
We classify Somer as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,239 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Somer most popular?
The single biggest year for Somer was 1978, when 152 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Somer is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Somer a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Somer in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.