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

Summ, 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 Summ surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Summ in America

Summ is the 150452nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Summ surname appeared 109 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Summ.

We can also compare 2010 data for Summ 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 Summ

The surname Summ originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from an Old English nickname meaning "summer." It is believed to have been initially bestowed upon someone who exhibited a cheerful or sunny disposition, perhaps suggesting a pleasant and warm-natured character.

Records indicate that the surname first appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where one Richard Summ was listed as a landowner. Variations of the spelling emerged over time, including Somm, Somme, and Sommer, reflecting regional dialects and the evolving nature of English orthography.

By the 14th century, the Summ name had spread across various parts of England, with notable mentions in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. These records provide insights into the geographic distribution of the surname during this period.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was John Summ, born around 1410 in Lincolnshire. He served as a yeoman farmer and is mentioned in local parish records from the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Summ, born in 1532 in Buckinghamshire, who became a respected magistrate and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

The Summ surname also found its way into literature, with references in the works of renowned authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, a character named "Somer" is described as a jovial and merry individual, potentially alluding to the name's connotations of warmth and brightness.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several Summ families established themselves in various regions of England, including notable figures like Robert Summ (1568-1642), a wealthy merchant from Bristol, and Elizabeth Summ (1620-1692), a respected Puritan author and diarist from Suffolk.

As the British Empire expanded, the Summ surname traveled to various parts of the world, with descendants settling in North America, Australia, and other colonies. One notable individual was Captain William Summ (1745-1823), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent figure in the settlement of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Throughout its history, the surname Summ has been associated with a diverse range of professions and accomplishments, from farmers and merchants to authors, politicians, and military personnel. While its origins may have stemmed from a simple nickname, the Summ name has left an indelible mark on the tapestry of English and British history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Summ

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!