Sumire
A feminine Japanese name meaning "small violet" or "violet flower".
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Sumire. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sumire today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sumire births was 2018 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sumire. 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
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
2018
11 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,992
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Sumire: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sumire from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 61 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sumire remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sumire 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 Sumire during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sumire
The name Sumire has its origins in Japanese culture, deriving from the Japanese word "sumire," which refers to the violet or pansy flower. This name has been in use for centuries, with records indicating its presence in Japan as early as the 8th century.
The name Sumire is believed to be inspired by the delicate beauty and vibrant hues of the sumire flower. In Japanese folklore and literature, the sumire flower has been celebrated for its elegance and symbolism, often associated with modesty, humility, and the ephemeral nature of life's beauty.
One of the earliest known references to the name Sumire can be found in the ancient Japanese poetry anthology, the Man'yoshu, compiled in the 8th century. In this collection, the name appears in various waka (traditional Japanese poetry) compositions, highlighting its cultural significance during that era.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sumire. One such figure is Sumire no Tsubone (lived around 1548-1626), a renowned lady-in-waiting and confidante of the powerful warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Sumire Uwajima (1828-1865), a skilled female writer and poet who gained recognition for her contributions to Japanese literature during the late Edo period.
In the world of traditional Japanese theater, Sumire Arashi (1886-1952) was a celebrated Kabuki actor known for her portrayals of female roles, particularly in plays depicting the lives of courtesans and geisha.
The name Sumire has also been carried by notable contemporary figures, such as Sumire Uesaka (born 1991), a popular Japanese voice actress known for her roles in various anime series and video games.
Additionally, Sumire Kawakami (born 1982) is a renowned Japanese actress and model who has appeared in numerous films, television dramas, and commercials, further adding to the name's modern prominence.
People
Sumire + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sumire 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
Sumire: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sumire?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sumire 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 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Sumire a common name?
We classify Sumire as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sumire most popular?
The single biggest year for Sumire was 2018, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sumire is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sumire in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sumire a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sumire 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.
Is Sumire still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sumire in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sumire can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Sumire?
You can see how many Americans are named Sumire on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.