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

Sunderland, 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 Sunderland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sunderland in America

Sunderland is the 7572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sunderland surname appeared 4,387 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sunderland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sunderland 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 Sunderland

The surname Sunderland is of English origin, derived from the town of Sunderland in County Durham, England. The name Sunderland itself is thought to come from the Old English words "sunor" meaning "to divide" and "land", referring to the land divided or separated by the River Wear.

Sunderland is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Sunderlande", indicating the name's long history in the region. The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century, with a John de Sunderland appearing in records from 1275.

In the 14th century, a William de Sunderland was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1344. The surname also appears in other medieval records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Thomas de Sunderland is noted.

One notable bearer of the Sunderland name was Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641-1702), a prominent statesman and politician during the reigns of Charles II, James II, and William III. Another was Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland (1620-1643), who fought for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1675-1722), served as Lord Privy Seal and Secretary of State for the Southern Department. His son, Robert Spencer, 4th Earl of Sunderland (1701-1781), was a noted patron of the arts and an influential figure in the Whig party.

Another prominent bearer of the Sunderland name was Samuel Sunderland (1628-1691), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as a chaplain to Charles II and was known for his opposition to the Church of England's practices.

While the surname Sunderland originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the town of Sunderland in County Durham, where the name has been documented for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sunderland

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

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

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

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