2000
#12,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,217
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Summey
An English occupational surname for a summoner or process server, derived from the Old French "somier" meaning "to summon."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,402 Americans carry the last name Summey. That puts it at #13,814 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Summey 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
2.4K
1 in 142,695
Census rank
#13,814
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,095 bearers of the surname Summey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13814th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Summey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Summey
The surname Summey is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "sumor," meaning summer, suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive name or a locational surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named Robert Somery was mentioned. This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, was a record of landowners in England at the time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with slightly different spellings, such as Somery, Somerye, and Sommery. These variations were likely due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time and the influence of regional dialects.
During the 16th century, the surname Summey became more prevalent in parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where it was sometimes associated with specific place names like Somerby or Somerton.
One notable individual bearing the Summey surname was John Summey, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 16th century and was involved in trade with the American colonies.
In the 17th century, the name Summey appeared in parish records in various counties across England, including Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire.
Thomas Summey, born in 1632 in Gloucestershire, was a prominent figure in the early colonial settlement of Virginia. He was among the first English settlers to establish a permanent presence in the area now known as Hampton Roads.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Summey, born in 1698 in Worcestershire. She was a renowned herbalist and midwife, widely respected for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her compassionate care for mothers and infants.
In the 18th century, the Summey surname continued to be present in various regions of England, with some families migrating to other parts of the British Isles and abroad.
One notable bearer of the name during this period was Samuel Summey, born in 1745 in Oxfordshire. He was a skilled carpenter and builder who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings, including churches and country estates.
As the centuries progressed, the Summey surname spread to other parts of the world, carried by English emigrants and settlers. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, the name has since taken root in various countries and cultures, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Summey
Among Census respondents with the surname Summey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Summey 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 Summey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 1,765
- Black or African American7.8% · 163
- Two or more races5.0% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Summey
Summey 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
#13,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,281
+64 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 587 places
2020
#13,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,095
-186 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,773 | 2,217 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,360 | 2,281 | 0.77 | +64 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 587 places |
| 2020 | #13,814 | 2,095 | 0.70 | -186 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 454 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 Summey 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 | #13,360 | #13,814 | -3.4% |
| Count | 2,281 | 2,095 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.70 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Summey bearers went from 2,281 to 2,095 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 454 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,360 to #13,814.
FAQ
Summey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Summey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,402 living Americans carry the surname Summey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,695 residents.
How common is Summey?
Summey ranks #13,814 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,095 people with the surname Summey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,402), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Summey.
Has Summey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Summey went from 2,281 recorded bearers to 2,095. That is a decrease of 186 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,360 to #13,814.
What does the Census say about the background of Summey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Summey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Summey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (1,765 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Summey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Black (7.8%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Summey (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 Summey mean?
An English occupational surname for a summoner or process server, derived from the Old French "somier" meaning "to summon." 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 Summey (0.70 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 Summey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.