NameCensus.

UK surname

Sommer

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a pack-animal driver or hauler of goods.

In the 1881 census there were 42 people recorded with the Sommer surname, ranking it #27,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 235, ranked #17,530, up from #27,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chichester, Camden and Wandsworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sommer is 236 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 459.5%.

1881 census count

42

Ranked #27,721

Modern count

235

2016, ranked #17,530

Peak year

2014

236 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sommer had 42 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 235 in 2016, ranked #17,530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Sommer surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sommer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sommer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sommer over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 17 #30,267
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 42 #27,721
1891 historical 65 #28,660
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 78 #25,013
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 180 #19,425
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 182 #19,411
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 188 #19,204
2008 modern 193 #19,077
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 221 #18,039
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 236 #17,577
2015 modern 234 #17,577
2016 modern 235 #17,530

Geography

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Where Sommers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chichester, Camden, Wandsworth and Bury. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chichester 002 Chichester
2 Camden 011 Camden
3 Camden 014 Camden
4 Wandsworth 011 Wandsworth
5 Bury 024 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sommer

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sommer surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sommer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sommer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Sommer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Sommer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Sommer is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sommer is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sommer falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sommer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sommer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sommer

The surname Sommer has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "sommer," which means "summer." The name likely referred to someone who was born or lived near a location with a seasonal association, such as a summer pasture or a summer residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sommer can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary compiled in the late 12th century by the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in Westphalia, Germany. The document mentions a certain "Hermannus dictus Sommer" (Hermann called Sommer) as a witness to a land transaction.

In the 13th century, the name Sommer appeared in various forms, such as "Sumer," "Sumere," and "Summere," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. Several place names in Germany, such as Sommerhausen and Sommerfeld, may have contributed to the development of the surname.

Some notable historical figures with the surname Sommer include:

1. Johannes Sommer (c. 1542-1574), a German Renaissance composer and organist. He served as the court Kapellmeister in Denmark and is known for his sacred and secular compositions.

2. Hans Sommer (1548-1622), a German Renaissance painter and engraver from Nuremberg. He is best known for his portraits and religious scenes.

3. Johann Gottfried Sommer (1643-1719), a German jurist and legal scholar. He served as a professor of law at the University of Jena and published several works on Roman law.

4. Christian Sommer (1793-1859), a German author and poet. He wrote novels, plays, and poetry, and was associated with the Romantic movement.

5. Robert Sommer (1864-1937), a German psychologist and one of the founders of the field of environmental psychology. He conducted pioneering research on personal space and crowding.

The surname Sommer has been widely distributed across various regions of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, where German influence and migration patterns played a role in its dissemination.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sommer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sommer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11 Sommers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 2.69x
Berkshire 7 22.77x
Morayshire 7 110.06x
Yorkshire 3 0.74x
Dorset 2 7.44x
Northumberland 2 3.28x
Staffordshire 2 1.45x
Surrey 2 1.00x
Glamorgan 1 1.40x
Gloucestershire 1 1.24x
Lancashire 1 0.21x
Midlothian 1 1.82x
Somerset 1 1.52x
Suffolk 1 2.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Drainie in Morayshire leads with 7 Sommers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1250.00x.

Place Total Index
Drainie 7 1250.00x
New Windsor 7 679.61x
Battersea 2 13.27x
Hackney London 2 8.71x
Islington London 2 5.04x
Jesmond 2 232.56x
Sculcoates 2 31.10x
St Marylebone London 2 9.14x
St Pancras London 2 6.07x
Tamworth 2 270.27x
Blandford St Mary 1 2000.00x
Clevedon 1 144.93x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 4.53x
Hampstead London 1 15.67x
Kensington London 1 4.39x
Leeds 1 4.36x
Leweston 1 10000.00x
St John Near Swansea 1 113.64x
St Luke London 1 15.22x
Timworth 1 3333.33x
Toxteth Park 1 6.08x
Westbury On Trym 1 36.76x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sommer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sommer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Dagobert 1
Erich 1
Ernest 1
Eugen 1
Frederic 1
Gustav 1
Hugo 1
Jacob 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Wilhelm 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sommer households.

FAQ

Sommer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sommer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 42 people were recorded with the Sommer surname. That placed it at #27,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sommer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 235 in 2016. That gives Sommer a modern rank of #17,530.

What does the Sommer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a pack-animal driver or hauler of goods.

What does the Sommer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sommer bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.