NameCensus.

UK surname

Summerhill

An English habitational surname indicating someone living by a summer hill.

In the 1881 census there were 205 people recorded with the Summerhill surname, ranking it #12,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 314, ranked #14,291, down from #12,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Redcar and Cleveland and Braidfauld.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Summerhill is 328 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.2%.

1881 census count

205

Ranked #12,643

Modern count

314

2016, ranked #14,291

Peak year

1998

328 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Summerhill had 205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 314 in 2016, ranked #14,291.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 274 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Summerhill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Summerhill surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Summerhill 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 205 #12,643
1891 historical 274 #11,880
1901 historical 271 #12,462
1911 historical 272 #12,205
1997 modern 314 #13,136
1998 modern 328 #13,100
1999 modern 315 #13,524
2000 modern 316 #13,460
2001 modern 312 #13,392
2002 modern 312 #13,639
2003 modern 309 #13,559
2004 modern 305 #13,752
2005 modern 297 #13,916
2006 modern 309 #13,633
2007 modern 304 #13,927
2008 modern 300 #14,135
2009 modern 309 #14,135
2010 modern 313 #14,289
2011 modern 316 #14,092
2012 modern 305 #14,357
2013 modern 320 #14,104
2014 modern 321 #14,150
2015 modern 316 #14,214
2016 modern 314 #14,291

Geography

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Where Summerhills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Dudley and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Redcar and Cleveland, Braidfauld, South Gloucestershire and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
4 Dudley Staffordshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
2 Redcar and Cleveland 011 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Braidfauld Glasgow City
4 South Gloucestershire 027 South Gloucestershire
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 020 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Summerhill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Summerhill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Summerhill, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Summerhill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Summerhill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Summerhill 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

Summerhill is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Summerhill falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Summerhill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Summerhill

The surname Summerhill has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the name of a place where the original bearers of the name lived or held land. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "sumor" meaning summer and "hyll" meaning hill, referring to a hill or elevated location that was particularly notable during the summer months.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Summerhill can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, where a person named Richard de Somerhull is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, reflecting the changes in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places with similar names, such as "Sumerhull" and "Sumerhille," which could be related to the surname's origins.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert de Sumerhull. This demonstrates the widespread use of the surname across different regions of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Summerhill throughout history include:

1. John Summerhill (c. 1530-1589), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford. 2. William Summerhill (1675-1742), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several prominent buildings in London, including the Church of St Mary Woolnoth. 3. Henry Summerhill (1774-1845), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal. 4. Elizabeth Summerhill (1838-1921), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded the Girls' Classical School in Indianapolis, Indiana. 5. Robert Summerhill (1892-1988), a British writer and educator who founded the influential Summerhill School, an influential progressive boarding school in Suffolk, England.

The surname Summerhill has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Summerhill in Kent, Summerhill in Merseyside, and Summerhill in Staffordshire, further reinforcing its locational origins and connection to specific geographical areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Summerhill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Summerhill 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. Gloucestershire leads with 57 Summerhills recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.53x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 57 14.53x
Lanarkshire 50 7.73x
Staffordshire 32 4.74x
Yorkshire 19 0.96x
Worcestershire 14 5.36x
Derbyshire 9 2.87x
Lancashire 7 0.30x
Monmouthshire 5 3.46x
Glamorgan 3 0.86x
Northumberland 2 0.67x
Warwickshire 2 0.40x
Devon 1 0.24x
Durham 1 0.17x
Rutland 1 6.81x
Somerset 1 0.31x
Sussex 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalziel in Lanarkshire leads with 31 Summerhills recorded in 1881 and an index of 445.40x.

Place Total Index
Dalziel 31 445.40x
Mangotsfield 25 639.39x
Wolverhampton 14 26.98x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 13 181.06x
Dudley 12 37.80x
Barony 10 6.11x
Wednesbury 10 59.28x
Hamilton 9 49.89x
Bitton Oldland 7 174.56x
Altofts 6 273.97x
South Normanton 6 272.73x
Aberystruth 5 39.25x
Bingley 5 39.62x
Castleford 5 69.25x
Gloucester St Aldate 5 1041.67x
Newton 5 27.34x
Tipton 5 24.19x
Bristol St George 3 16.54x
Hempstead 3 625.00x
Margam 3 77.32x
Whittington 3 69.28x
Horbury 2 57.64x
Wolverley 2 87.34x
Wombourn 2 160.00x
Aston 1 0.72x
Birmingham 1 0.60x
Brighton 1 1.47x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.61x
Burslem 1 5.17x
Chirton 1 14.86x
Cirencester 1 18.83x
Empingham 1 178.57x
Heaton Norris 1 7.40x
Kimberworth 1 9.09x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 6.49x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 3.12x
West Herrington 1 48.08x
Weston Super Mare 1 12.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 8
Joseph 7
William 6
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Henry 4
Isaac 4
John 4
George 3
Thomas 3
Walter 2
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Bertie 1
Charles 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Iram 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Jonas 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Ted 1
Thos.William 1

FAQ

Summerhill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Summerhill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 205 people were recorded with the Summerhill surname. That placed it at #12,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Summerhill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 314 in 2016. That gives Summerhill a modern rank of #14,291.

What does the Summerhill surname mean?

An English habitational surname indicating someone living by a summer hill.

What does the Summerhill map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Summerhill 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.