2000
#57,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 329
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Sumrow
A variant spelling of the English surname Somervill, meaning "from Somerset".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 400 Americans carry the last name Sumrow. That puts it at #62,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 856,886 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sumrow 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
400
1 in 856,886
Census rank
#62,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
349
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 349 bearers of the surname Sumrow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sumrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sumrow
The surname SUMROW has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "sum" and "rewe," which together mean "a certain row or line." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to a location or a plot of land that had a particular arrangement or layout.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Ricardus de Sumrewe is mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates that this individual was likely associated with a place called Sumrewe, which was likely the original spelling of the name.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Sumrewe, Sumrowe, and Sumrowe, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that period. One notable bearer of the name was William de Sumrowe, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1274.
By the 14th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling of SUMROW. In the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, a man named John Sumrow was mentioned in 1348. This record provides evidence of the name's usage in a different part of England, indicating its spread across the country.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname SUMROW was Richard SUMROW, who was born in Oxfordshire in 1412. He was a prominent landowner and held several positions of authority in his local community.
Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas SUMROW, born in 1532 in Warwickshire. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his work on the history and geography of England during the Tudor period.
In the 17th century, the name SUMROW gained further recognition with the birth of Elizabeth SUMROW in 1628 in Gloucestershire. She was a noted herbalist and midwife, renowned for her expertise in traditional medicine and her contributions to the well-being of her community.
The surname SUMROW has also been associated with several notable figures in more recent history, including John SUMROW (1789-1864), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, and Elizabeth SUMROW (1872-1946), a pioneering feminist and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its long history, the surname SUMROW has maintained a strong presence in England, with various branches of the family residing in different regions of the country. While the name's exact origins may be somewhat obscure, its enduring legacy and the contributions of its bearers have left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sumrow
Among Census respondents with the surname Sumrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sumrow 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 Sumrow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 307
- Two or more races4.9% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 10
- Black or African American2.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sumrow
Sumrow 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
#57,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 352
+23 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 68 places
2020
#62,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 349
-3 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 4,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,849 | 329 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,781 | 352 | 0.12 | +23 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 68 places |
| 2020 | #62,049 | 349 | 0.12 | -3 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 4,268 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 Sumrow 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 | #57,781 | #62,049 | -7.4% |
| Count | 352 | 349 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sumrow bearers went from 352 to 349 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 4,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,781 to #62,049.
FAQ
Sumrow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sumrow?
Name Census estimates that about 400 living Americans carry the surname Sumrow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 856,886 residents.
How common is Sumrow?
Sumrow ranks #62,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 349 people with the surname Sumrow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (400), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Sumrow.
Has Sumrow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sumrow went from 352 recorded bearers to 349. That is a decrease of 3 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,781 to #62,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sumrow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sumrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Sumrow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sumrow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Sumrow (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 Sumrow mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Somervill, meaning "from Somerset". 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 Sumrow (0.12 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 Sumrow?
Want to know how many people have the last name Sumrow? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.