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

Somerhalder, 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 Somerhalder surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Somerhalder in America

Somerhalder is the 149328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Somerhalder surname appeared 101 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Somerhalder.

The history of the last name Somerhalder

The surname Somerhalder is of Germanic origin, emerging prominently in the regions of Bavaria and bordering areas of Switzerland in the late Middle Ages. The name is likely derived from the old High German words "sumer" meaning summer and "halda" meaning slope or hill, suggesting an ancestral link to a region characterized by sunny hillsides or summer pastures.

Historical references to the surname are sparse but indicative of its rootedness in the medieval agricultural societies of Southern Germany. One of the earliest mentions appears in a tax manuscript from 1421 in Bavaria, listing a Hans Somerhalder, a landowner obligated to pay dues to the local lord. This early documentation reflects the agrarian basis of the name, potentially associated with families living on or near sunny, hilly farmlands.

By the 16th century, variants of the name such as Sommerhalter and Summerhalder began appearing in ecclesiastical records, particularly baptismal and marriage registers. The Protestant Reformation and the resultant ecclesial upheavals led to more documentation, and a notable individual from this period was Johann Sommerhalter, born in 1574, a Lutheran minister who played a pivotal role in religious reforms in his local parish in Bavaria.

The late 17th and early 18th centuries saw further mentions of the Somerhalder family in legal documents and property records. Albrecht Somerhalder, born in 1668, was recorded as a merchant in Zurich, suggesting the migration of the name from rural Bavaria to urban centers in neighboring Switzerland. His business dealings and civic contributions are well-documented in town ledgers from the period.

Another significant individual was Friedrich Sommerhalder, born in 1723, a cartographer known for his detailed maps of the Swabian Alps. His work provided crucial information for both military and civilian applications, indicating the diversification of the family into various professional fields beyond agriculture.

In the 19th century, Wilhelm Somerhalder, born in 1820, emerged as a noted academic in Munich, contributing to the burgeoning field of natural sciences. His numerous publications and lectures are archived in the university's records, reflecting the intellectual legacy of the Somerhalders.

These historical mentions help chart the lineage and geographical spread of the surname Somerhalder, illustrating how it encapsulated the social and economic shifts over several centuries. The name's endurance and transformation through different regions and professions highlights the adaptive nature of family lineages within the broader historical context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Somerhalder

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Somerhalder 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.

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

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

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