2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sumara
A Turkish surname meaning "immortal" or "eternal".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Sumara. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sumara 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Sumara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sumara, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sumara
The surname Sumara has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "sumara," which means "reddish-brown" or "tan-colored." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person's physical appearance or perhaps a connection to a particular trade or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sumara can be found in the census records of the city of Seville from the year 1284, where a family by the name of Sumara is listed as residing in the city's Jewish quarter. This indicates that the name may have been borne by Sephardic Jews during the time of the Reconquista.
In the 15th century, the name Sumara is mentioned in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, suggesting that some individuals bearing this surname may have been persecuted or forced to convert to Christianity during that turbulent period in Spanish history.
The surname Sumara has also been linked to the town of Sumaracardo in the province of Salamanca, which was once known as "Sumara de Carpeto." This suggests a possible connection between the surname and a specific geographic location.
Notable individuals with the surname Sumara throughout history include:
1. Rodrigo Sumara (c. 1450 - 1520), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.
2. María Sumara (c. 1525 - 1598), a Spanish poet and writer who was renowned for her works in the literary circles of Renaissance Seville.
3. Juan Sumara (c. 1570 - 1635), a Spanish painter and artist who was known for his religious-themed works, many of which can still be found in churches throughout Andalusia.
4. Pedro Sumara (c. 1620 - 1680), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Army during the Thirty Years' War and later became the governor of the Spanish territories in the Caribbean.
5. Alonso Sumara (c. 1700 - 1765), a Spanish architect and engineer who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
While the surname Sumara has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical origins and significance of this surname remain closely tied to its Andalusian heritage and the rich cultural tapestry of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sumara
Among Census respondents with the surname Sumara, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sumara 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 Sumara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sumara
Sumara 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,290 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 3,290 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,894 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 Sumara 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 | #137,327 | #147,221 | -7.2% |
| Count | 122 | 113 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sumara bearers went from 122 to 113 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,221.
FAQ
Sumara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sumara?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Sumara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Sumara?
Sumara ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Sumara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sumara.
Has Sumara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sumara went from 122 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Sumara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sumara, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Sumara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sumara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Sumara (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 Sumara mean?
A Turkish surname meaning "immortal" or "eternal". 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 Sumara (0.04 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 common is the surname Sumara?
See how many people have the surname Sumara on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.