2000
#12,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Sommerville
A locational surname referring to someone from Sommerville, a place derived from Old French meaning "summer town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,779 Americans carry the last name Sommerville. That puts it at #12,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,337 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sommerville surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sommerville with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,337
Census rank
#12,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,423 bearers of the surname Sommerville in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sommerville, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sommerville
The surname Sommerville originates from the Scottish Borders region, deriving its name from the lands of Somerville near West Calder in West Lothian, Scotland. The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being "de Sumervill" in 1165.
The name Sommerville is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sumer" meaning summer and "feld" meaning field or open land, suggesting that the name likely referred to a summer pasture or dwelling place. Variants of the spelling include Somervill, Somerville, and Sommervile.
One of the earliest references to the Sommerville name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In this document, the name appears as "Thomas de Somervill" and "Walter de Somervill."
In the 14th century, Sir Walter de Somerville was a prominent Scottish noble who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was granted lands in Lanarkshire for his loyalty and bravery.
Another notable figure was Sir John Somerville, who was born around 1370 and served as Lord of Carnwath. He played a significant role in the negotiations for the release of King James I of Scotland after his captivity in England.
In the 16th century, James Somerville (1504-1565) was a Scottish Protestant reformer and ambassador to France. He was appointed Clerk Register to the Privy Council of Scotland and was influential in the spread of Protestantism in Scotland.
During the 17th century, William Somerville (1675-1742) was a renowned English poet and author, best known for his work "The Chase," a poetic celebration of hunting. He was also a member of the Royal Society and a Justice of the Peace in Warwickshire.
Another notable figure was Mary Somerville (1780-1872), a Scottish science writer and pioneer in the field of science education. She was one of the first women to be admitted to the Royal Astronomical Society and made significant contributions to the popularization of science through her writings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sommerville
Among Census respondents with the surname Sommerville, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sommerville bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sommerville surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.1% · 1,602
- Black or African American25.8% · 625
- Two or more races3.8% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sommerville
Sommerville appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,577
+212 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 5 places
2020
#12,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,423
-154 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,100 | 2,365 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,095 | 2,577 | 0.87 | +212 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 5 places |
| 2020 | #12,263 | 2,423 | 0.81 | -154 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 168 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sommerville surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,095 | #12,263 | -1.4% |
| Count | 2,577 | 2,423 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.81 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sommerville bearers went from 2,577 to 2,423 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 168 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,095 to #12,263.
FAQ
Sommerville surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sommerville?
Name Census estimates that about 2,779 living Americans carry the surname Sommerville. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,337 residents.
How common is Sommerville?
Sommerville ranks #12,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,423 people with the surname Sommerville. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,779), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sommerville.
Has Sommerville become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sommerville went from 2,577 recorded bearers to 2,423. That is a decrease of 154 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,095 to #12,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Sommerville?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sommerville, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sommerville in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (1,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sommerville appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.1%), Black (25.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sommerville (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sommerville mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Sommerville, a place derived from Old French meaning "summer town." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sommerville (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Sommerville?
You can see how common the surname Sommerville is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.