Fun Facts About the Name Sumner
- More than 2 thousand babies named Sumner: U.S. records list 2,662 babies given the name Sumner from 1880 through 2025. Even 218 girls received the name Sumner - about 1 girl for every 11 boys.
What Does the Name Sumner Mean?
Sumner is an English occupational surname, and the given name is a transferred use of that surname. Its established meaning is "summoner," an officer who served summonses, especially in an ecclesiastical court. The surname comes from Middle English sumner, a contracted form of Old French somoneor. The word goes back to Latin submonere ("to remind, admonish, or summon"), the source of the noun submonitor, "one who admonishes or summons." The literal sense is "one who admonishes or summons"; the customary occupational sense is a court summoner.
Sumner Name History & Origins
The surname Sumner developed in medieval England from the office of the summoner. A summoner delivered summonses for church courts, requiring people to appear on charges of moral or ecclesiastical offenses; the role was common enough in local administration that the occupational term became hereditary. The Middle English word sumner was shortened from Old French somoneor, and the surname preserves that form. Spellings such as Sumner and Somner occur in English records.
The office is familiar from medieval English literature: the Summoner is one of the pilgrims in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and "The Summoner's Tale" satirizes such an official. That literary use illustrates the occupation; it is not the source of the name. As a first name, Sumner is a transferred surname used in the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States. Notable American bearers include the diplomat Sumner Welles and the media executive Sumner Redstone.
How Popular is the Name Sumner?
Sumner recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1920. Its best rank was #553 in 1883.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,728 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #8,915 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #17,456 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #17,837 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #16,616 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #16,536 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #14,768 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #20,112 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #20,207 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #19,705 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #14,329 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #18,476 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #18,080 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #12,064 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #13,322 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,482 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #10,238 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #13,900 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #7,232 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #10,439 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #7,460 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #8,713 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #11,657 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #10,360 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #10,697 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #10,257 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #12,587 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #9,172 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #9,092 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #10,047 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,580 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #6,762 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #7,663 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #8,884 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #7,037 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #5,663 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2019 | #7,567 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #5,744 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #7,477 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #7,541 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #5,711 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #6,579 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #6,197 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #6,588 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #7,986 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #8,056 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #5,284 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #7,126 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #5,869 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #5,043 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #4,606 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #3,840 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #4,399 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #5,362 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #5,361 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #4,541 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #5,001 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #3,471 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1997 | #3,572 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #3,095 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1995 | #3,538 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #2,254 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1993 | #3,797 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #3,444 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #5,877 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #3,153 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1988 | #3,883 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #4,909 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #4,793 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #4,018 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #5,496 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #6,124 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #7,150 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #4,092 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1979 | #4,040 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1976 | #5,515 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #3,801 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #4,445 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #4,330 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #4,191 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #3,898 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #2,557 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #4,465 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,221 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #3,022 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,295 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #3,323 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #2,850 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,944 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #2,795 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #2,617 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #3,187 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #2,420 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1954 | #2,305 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #1,826 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1952 | #2,145 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1951 | #2,641 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #1,740 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1949 | #1,699 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1948 | #1,653 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1947 | #1,595 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1946 | #1,433 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1945 | #1,763 | 16 | 0.0012% |
| 1944 | #1,474 | 22 | 0.0016% |
| 1943 | #1,525 | 22 | 0.0015% |
| 1942 | #1,356 | 27 | 0.0020% |
| 1941 | #1,479 | 22 | 0.0018% |
| 1940 | #1,565 | 20 | 0.0017% |
| 1939 | #1,422 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1938 | #1,968 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1937 | #1,820 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1936 | #1,457 | 22 | 0.0021% |
| 1935 | #1,350 | 26 | 0.0025% |
| 1934 | #1,319 | 27 | 0.0026% |
| 1933 | #1,178 | 32 | 0.0032% |
| 1932 | #1,319 | 28 | 0.0027% |
| 1931 | #1,061 | 41 | 0.0039% |
| 1930 | #1,111 | 40 | 0.0036% |
| 1929 | #854 | 60 | 0.0056% |
| 1928 | #900 | 56 | 0.0051% |
| 1927 | #1,021 | 48 | 0.0043% |
| 1926 | #853 | 61 | 0.0055% |
| 1925 | #898 | 57 | 0.0051% |
| 1924 | #895 | 61 | 0.0054% |
| 1923 | #972 | 51 | 0.0047% |
| 1922 | #854 | 65 | 0.0060% |
| 1921 | #1,042 | 46 | 0.0042% |
| 1920 | #843 | 65 | 0.0061% |
| 1919 | #997 | 47 | 0.0048% |
| 1918 | #938 | 51 | 0.0050% |
| 1917 | #1,107 | 37 | 0.0040% |
| 1916 | #882 | 52 | 0.0058% |
| 1915 | #995 | 41 | 0.0048% |
| 1914 | #1,096 | 28 | 0.0043% |
| 1913 | #911 | 30 | 0.0059% |
| 1912 | #912 | 25 | 0.0058% |
| 1911 | #890 | 15 | 0.0066% |
| 1910 | #923 | 13 | 0.0067% |
| 1909 | #1,261 | 7 | 0.0043% |
| 1908 | #1,569 | 5 | 0.0032% |
| 1907 | #1,328 | 6 | 0.0041% |
| 1906 | #1,235 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #868 | 9 | 0.0070% |
| 1902 | #1,298 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1901 | #1,047 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1900 | #1,289 | 6 | 0.0040% |
| 1898 | #989 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1897 | #1,047 | 6 | 0.0053% |
| 1896 | #1,092 | 6 | 0.0050% |
| 1893 | #1,169 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1892 | #1,055 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1891 | #950 | 6 | 0.0059% |
| 1890 | #872 | 7 | 0.0063% |
| 1889 | #1,098 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1888 | #1,020 | 6 | 0.0050% |
| 1887 | #1,052 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1886 | #641 | 10 | 0.0090% |
| 1885 | #758 | 8 | 0.0074% |
| 1884 | #749 | 8 | 0.0070% |
| 1883 | #553 | 12 | 0.0115% |
| 1882 | #1,079 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1881 | #696 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1880 | #631 | 10 | 0.0091% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Sumner Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Sumner's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sumner's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.