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

Sumlin, 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 Sumlin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sumlin in America

Sumlin is the 14434th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sumlin surname appeared 2,070 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 Sumlin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sumlin 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 Sumlin

The surname Sumlin is believed to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon territories of England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sum" meaning "some" and "lin" meaning "flax" or "linen". Thus, the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with flax or linen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sumlin surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in certain parts of the country around that time.

Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Sumlyn, Sumline, and Sumlen, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during earlier periods. Some of these variations may have also been influenced by the places where different branches of the family resided.

Notable individuals with the Sumlin surname include John Sumlin (c. 1450-1510), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, England. Another influential figure was Sir Robert Sumlin (1623-1692), a member of Parliament and supporter of the Glorious Revolution in 1688.

In the 19th century, William Sumlin (1819-1888) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, while James Sumlin (1842-1912) was a respected scholar and author of several works on English literature.

More recently, Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011) was an influential American blues guitarist and singer, best known for his work with Howlin' Wolf and his distinctive guitar style.

It's worth noting that the Sumlin surname has also been associated with various geographical locations, such as the village of Sumlin in Gloucestershire, England, and the town of Sumlin in Oxfordshire, which may have contributed to the development and spread of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sumlin

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

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

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

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