2000
#10,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Summerfield
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a field that was used during the summer months.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,983 Americans carry the last name Summerfield. That puts it at #11,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Summerfield 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 Summerfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,903
Census rank
#11,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,601 bearers of the surname Summerfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Summerfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Summerfield
The surname Summerfield is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "sumor" meaning summer and "feld" meaning field or open land. It likely originated as a place name for a location characterized by its fertile summer fields or meadows.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in old tax rolls and parish records. One notable early record is from the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, which mentions a Robert de Summerfield.
During the Middle Ages, variations in spelling were common, and the name appeared in forms such as Somerfeld, Somerfelde, and Somerfeild. It is believed that many of these early bearers of the name were landowners or farmers who lived near fields known for their abundant summer harvests.
In the 16th century, the Summerfield name gained prominence with the birth of John Summerfield (c. 1530-1589), a renowned English scholar and theologian who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford.
Another notable figure was Sir Richard Summerfield (1615-1683), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament and played a key role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Summerfield name spread across various regions of England, with concentrations found in counties such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire.
In the 19th century, the name gained international recognition with the life of John Summerfield (1798-1825), an American Methodist minister and celebrated preacher who was born in England but achieved fame in the United States for his powerful oratory and evangelistic efforts.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir George Summerfield (1855-1931), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the steel industry and founded the Summerfield Trust to support educational and charitable causes.
While the Summerfield name has its roots in the rural landscapes of medieval England, it has evolved to become a widely recognized surname across the English-speaking world, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Summerfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Summerfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Summerfield 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 Summerfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 2,145
- Two or more races5.2% · 135
- Black or African American4.5% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Summerfield
Summerfield 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
#11,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,758
+95 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 459 places
2020
#11,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,601
-157 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,964 | 2,663 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,423 | 2,758 | 0.93 | +95 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 459 places |
| 2020 | #11,562 | 2,601 | 0.87 | -157 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 139 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 Summerfield 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 | #11,423 | #11,562 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,758 | 2,601 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.87 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Summerfield bearers went from 2,758 to 2,601 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,423 to #11,562.
FAQ
Summerfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Summerfield?
Name Census estimates that about 2,983 living Americans carry the surname Summerfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,903 residents.
How common is Summerfield?
Summerfield ranks #11,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,601 people with the surname Summerfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,983), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Summerfield.
Has Summerfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Summerfield went from 2,758 recorded bearers to 2,601. That is a decrease of 157 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,423 to #11,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Summerfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Summerfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (4.5%). 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 Summerfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (2,145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Summerfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Black (4.5%). 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 Summerfield (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 Summerfield mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a field that was used during the summer months. 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 Summerfield (0.87 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 last name Summerfield?
Find out how many people have the last name Summerfield on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.