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

Summerset, 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 Summerset surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Summerset in America

Summerset is the 91981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Summerset surname appeared 200 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 Summerset.

We can also compare 2010 data for Summerset 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 Summerset

The surname Summerset is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "sumor" meaning summer and "set" meaning a seasonal dwelling or temporary residence. The name likely referred to a place where people would reside during the summer months, possibly for agricultural or pastoral purposes.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Summerset can be found in various tax rolls and parish records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a William Summerset in the county of Somerset. This suggests the name may have been initially concentrated in southwestern England.

By the 15th century, the surname had spread to other regions of England. The Feet of Fines for Essex in 1465 includes a reference to a John Summerset. In the early 16th century, the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1524 list a Robert Summerset.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Summerset, a landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the Chancery Proceedings of 1391 in a dispute over property rights.

Another notable individual with this surname was Thomas Summerset, a poet and playwright from the early 17th century. He was born in 1587 in Warwickshire and is best known for his pastoral poetry and masques performed at the court of King James I.

During the English Civil War, a Captain Richard Summerset fought on the Parliamentarian side and is recorded as participating in the Battle of Naseby in 1645. His name appears in military muster rolls from that period.

In the 18th century, the surname was occasionally spelled as "Somerset" or "Somersett." One bearer of this variation was William Somersetshire, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Bristol from 1720 to 1795.

Another prominent figure was Sir George Summerset, a naval officer and explorer who sailed with Captain James Cook on his voyages to the Pacific in the late 1700s. He was born in 1754 and later became an admiral in the Royal Navy.

These examples demonstrate the long history and varied backgrounds of individuals who have borne the surname Summerset over the centuries, originating from its likely roots as a locational name in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Summerset

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

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

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

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