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

Somerville, 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 Somerville surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Somerville in America

Somerville is the 5199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Somerville surname appeared 6,721 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Somerville.

We can also compare 2010 data for Somerville 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 Somerville

The surname Somerville is of English origin, derived from the place name Somerville, a parish in Wiltshire, England. The name is believed to have originated in the late 11th or early 12th century, after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The name Somerville is formed from the Old English words "sumor," meaning summer, and "feld," meaning a field or open land. It likely referred to a specific area or settlement where crops were grown during the summer months. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Summerfeld."

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Robert de Somervile, a Norman knight who lived in the 12th century. He was granted lands in Staffordshire, England, and his descendants adopted the surname Somerville. Another early mention of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1190, where a Richard de Somervile is listed.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Somerville. Sir John Somerville (1560-1583) was an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. William Somerville (1675-1742) was a Scottish poet best known for his work "The Chase," a poem about hunting. Mary Somerville (1780-1872) was a Scottish science writer and pioneering female scientist, renowned for her work in mathematics and astronomy.

Other notable Somervilles include Graham Somerville (1915-1994), an English actor and playwright, and Sir Iain Somerville (1917-1985), a British naval officer who served during World War II and later became a successful businessman.

The Somerville family also played a significant role in the colonization of America. Sir James Somerville (1672-1741) was a British naval officer who served as the first royal governor of the Bahamas from 1701 to 1704. His descendants settled in various parts of the American colonies, contributing to the spread of the surname across the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Somerville

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

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

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

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