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

Somer, 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 Somer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Somer in America

Somer is the 58735th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Somer surname appeared 345 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Somer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Somer 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 Somer

The surname SOMER is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "sumor," which means "summer." It was likely an occupational name for someone who worked during the summer months or a descriptive name for someone with a sunny disposition or complexion.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in England, particularly in the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William le Somer.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name appears as "Sumeresham," referring to a place name in Huntingdonshire, which may have been the origin of some SOMER surnames.

During the medieval period, the name was also spelled as "Sommer," "Somere," and "Somers," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

One notable bearer of the SOMER surname was William Somer, a 14th-century English poet and author of the allegorical work "The Kynges Quair," written around 1385.

Another historical figure was Sir George Somer, a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, John Somer was a celebrated English mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of the Gregorian calendar.

In the realm of literature, the English author and poet Mary Somer (1822-1909) gained recognition for her works on nature and rural life.

The SOMER surname was also found in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it was spelled as "Sommer" or "Zomer," respectively.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Somer

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

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 Somer 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 Somer 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 Somer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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