2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Summ
A surname indicating a person who summoned or assembled people.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Summ. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Summ 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Summ in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Summ, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Summ
Among Census respondents with the surname Summ, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Summ 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 Summ surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 94
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Summ
Summ 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,664 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,664 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,887 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 Summ 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 | #150,452 | #152,339 | -1.3% |
| Count | 109 | 106 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Summ bearers went from 109 to 106 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,887 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,339.
FAQ
Summ surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Summ?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Summ. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Summ?
Summ ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Summ. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Summ.
Has Summ become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Summ went from 109 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Summ?
Among Census respondents with the surname Summ, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Summ in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Summ appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (2.8%). 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 Summ (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 Summ mean?
A surname indicating a person who summoned or assembled people. 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 Summ (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 many people have the surname Summ?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.