Find out how popular the last name Cummings is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cummings.

Cummings, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cummings surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cummings in America

Cummings is the 403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cummings surname appeared 79,316 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 27 people would have the surname Cummings.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cummings to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cummings

The surname Cummings has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cuming," meaning "newcomer" or "stranger." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who had recently arrived in a particular area or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1202, where a person named William Cuming is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, documenting taxes and other payments made to the Crown.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with the surname Cuming or Cumming in counties like Oxfordshire and Huntingdonshire. This indicates that the name had spread across different regions of England by that time.

The Cummings surname has also been associated with several place names in England, including Compton (from the Old English "combing tun," meaning "valley town") and Cumdivock (from the Old English "cuming" and the Cumbric "divock," meaning "a hollow"). These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Historically, notable individuals with the Cummings surname include:

1. Sir John Cummings (c. 1325-1400), an English soldier and diplomat who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

2. Robert Cummings (c. 1508-1576), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Salisbury Cathedral.

3. Francis Cummings (c. 1570-1647), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons during the reign of King Charles I.

4. Sir Abraham Cummings (1590-1670), an English merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several almshouses in London.

5. Thomas Cummings (1718-1791), an American patriot and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

The Cummings surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Comyn, Cumin, and Cumming, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and scribal interpretation. Despite these variations, the name's roots can be traced back to its Old English origins, reflecting the rich history and evolution of English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cummings

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cummings.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cummings was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cummings has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cummings was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cummings, please contact us.

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