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

Somerset, 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 Somerset surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Somerset in America

Somerset is the 42511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Somerset surname appeared 510 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 Somerset.

We can also compare 2010 data for Somerset 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 Somerset

The surname "SOMERSET" is of English origin and is a locational name that derives from the county of Somerset in South West England. The name is thought to have originated in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

The county of Somerset is believed to take its name from the Old English words "Sumor-saetan", meaning "the people living at or dependent on Sumortun". Sumortun itself is thought to derive from the Old English words "sumor" meaning "summer" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "farm". The name likely refers to a settlement or farm that was particularly fruitful or prosperous during the summer months.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Somerseta". This entry refers to landholders who hailed from the county of Somerset and held lands there at the time of the great survey.

In the 12th century, the surname is recorded as "de Sumersete" in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire and Somerset, which were administrative records kept by the English Exchequer. This early spelling reflects the use of the Norman French preposition "de" to denote a person's place of origin.

Notable historical figures with the surname Somerset include John de Somerset, a 13th-century English nobleman and landowner, born around 1205 and died in 1275. Another is John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, who was born in 1373 and died in 1410. He was a powerful English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.

Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, was a prominent English nobleman and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was born in 1550 and died in 1628. Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort, was a peer and landowner born in 1629 and died in 1700. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and later supported the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Edward Adolphus Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset, was a British peer and politician who lived from 1804 to 1885. He served as a member of parliament and held several prestigious positions including Lord President of the Council.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Somerset

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

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

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

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