2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Summan
A surname indicating a person or family of Finnish ethnicity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Summan. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Summan 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Summan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Summan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Summan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Summan
The surname Summan has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Swedish word "summan," which means "the total" or "the sum." In its earliest form, the name was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone involved in accounting or bookkeeping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Summan surname appears in the Swedish parish records of Värmland County in the late 1500s. The name was primarily concentrated in the central and western regions of Sweden during this time period.
Historical records from the 17th century mention a Johan Summan, a merchant from Gothenburg who was involved in trade with the Dutch East Indies Company. Another notable individual was Erik Summan, born in 1692, who served as a magistrate in the town of Falun.
In the 18th century, the Summan name spread to other parts of Scandinavia, including Norway and Denmark. A Danish soldier named Niels Summan fought in the Great Northern War against Sweden in the early 1700s.
The 19th century saw the Summan surname make its way to other parts of Europe and North America through immigration. One such example is August Summan, born in 1812 in Värmland, who later settled in the United States and became a prominent farmer in Minnesota.
Another notable figure was the Swedish writer and poet Ingrid Summan, born in 1867, who gained recognition for her works depicting rural life in her native Värmland region.
In the early 20th century, a Norwegian named Olaf Summan, born in 1905, became a successful businessman in the shipping industry and played a role in the development of the port city of Bergen.
While the Summan surname has its roots in Sweden, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of the name found in various countries, each with their own unique stories and contributions to their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Summan
Among Census respondents with the surname Summan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Summan 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 Summan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.0% · 85
- White13.0% · 13
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Summan
Summan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 6,287 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 Summan 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 | #149,395 | #155,682 | -4.2% |
| Count | 110 | 100 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Summan bearers went from 110 to 100 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 6,287 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #155,682.
FAQ
Summan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Summan?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Summan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Summan?
Summan ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Summan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Summan.
Has Summan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Summan went from 110 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Summan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Summan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Summan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Summan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.0%), White (13.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Summan (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 Summan mean?
A surname indicating a person or family of Finnish ethnicity. 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 Summan (0.03 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 are called Summan?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Summan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.