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

Sum, 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 Sum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sum in America

Sum is the 18596th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sum surname appeared 1,482 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sum 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 Sum

The surname SUM has its origins in medieval England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "summ," which meant a load or burden. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who carried or transported goods for a living.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SUM can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a person named Willelmus Summe. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a certain Robert Somme is listed.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name SUM was predominantly found in the counties of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Hertfordshire. There are records of places such as Summerfield near Oxford and Summerhill in Kent, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname SUM was Sir John Sum, a member of the gentry from Gloucestershire, who lived from around 1420 to 1490. Another prominent individual was William Sum, a merchant from Bristol who was active in the early 16th century.

The surname SUM also has a connection to the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. While the name itself is not explicitly mentioned, there are references to places like Summerleyton in Suffolk and Somersby in Lincolnshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname SUM throughout history include Richard Sum, a scholar and theologian from Oxford who lived in the late 16th century. In the 17th century, there was Thomas Sum, a prominent clergyman and author from Warwickshire, who was born in 1614 and died in 1685.

During the 18th century, the SUM surname gained further recognition with individuals like James Sum, a successful merchant from Bristol who lived from 1725 to 1798. In the 19th century, Sir John Sum, a British military officer and politician, was born in 1815 and served as a Member of Parliament for many years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sum

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

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

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

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