NameCensus.

UK surname

Summers

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked during the summer months or lived at a summer pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 8,369 people recorded with the Summers surname, ranking it #505 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,447, ranked #475, up from #505 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Peterhead Harbour, Fraserburgh Smiddyhill and Rosehearty and Strathbeg.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Summers is 13,522 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.7%.

1881 census count

8,369

Ranked #505

Modern count

13,447

2016, ranked #475

Peak year

2014

13,522 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Summers had 8,369 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #505 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,447 in 2016, ranked #475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,453 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Summers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Summers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Summers 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 4,763 #585
1861 historical 4,888 #578
1881 historical 8,369 #505
1891 historical 8,705 #506
1901 historical 10,296 #509
1911 historical 10,453 #465
1997 modern 12,602 #483
1998 modern 13,099 #483
1999 modern 13,197 #483
2000 modern 13,076 #486
2001 modern 12,793 #483
2002 modern 13,028 #485
2003 modern 12,725 #486
2004 modern 12,728 #482
2005 modern 12,540 #485
2006 modern 12,493 #488
2007 modern 12,526 #492
2008 modern 12,648 #492
2009 modern 12,944 #493
2010 modern 13,224 #494
2011 modern 13,024 #493
2012 modern 13,026 #485
2013 modern 13,457 #482
2014 modern 13,522 #484
2015 modern 13,449 #481
2016 modern 13,447 #475

Geography

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Where Summers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Peterhead Harbour, Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Norwich and Blaenau Gwent. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Peterhead Harbour Aberdeenshire
2 Fraserburgh Smiddyhill Aberdeenshire
3 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
4 Norwich 001 Norwich
5 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Summers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Summers

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Summers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Summers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Summers is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Summers is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Summers falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Summers is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Summers

The surname Summers has its origins in England, where it emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period, typically referring to someone who worked during the summer season. The name is derived from the Old English word "sumor," meaning summer.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Summers can be traced back to the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a William le Sumer is mentioned in Oxfordshire. This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames across various counties in England.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a John Sumer is listed. This record, dating back to 1327, further solidifies the presence of the name in different regions of England.

The Summers surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This invaluable historical document contains references to various place names, including Sumerleyton in Suffolk, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

One notable individual bearing the Summers surname was Sir George Summers (c. 1554-1610), an English naval officer and colonist who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts in Virginia. He was part of the expedition that established the Jamestown colony in 1607.

Another prominent figure was Sir James Summers (1828-1891), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Gambia from 1876 to 1881.

Montague Summers (1880-1948), an English author and clergyman, is known for his works on occult and supernatural themes, including his seminal book "The Vampire: His Kith and Kin" published in 1928.

In the literary realm, Dorothy Summers (1913-2000) was a British novelist and children's writer, renowned for her works such as "The Unloved" and "The Turret Room."

Lastly, the American artist Diane Summers (1925-2020) gained recognition for her vibrant abstract expressionist paintings, which explored themes of nature and the human experience.

Throughout its history, the Summers surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Somer, Sommer, and Somers, reflecting regional differences and language evolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Summers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Summers 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 868 Summers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.06x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 868 1.06x
Gloucestershire 517 3.22x
Lancashire 458 0.47x
Surrey 437 1.09x
Yorkshire 421 0.52x
Kent 397 1.42x
Warwickshire 369 1.79x
Durham 362 1.49x
Aberdeenshire 335 4.42x
Lanarkshire 326 1.23x
Somerset 300 2.28x
Hampshire 276 1.64x
Devon 270 1.58x
Northumberland 257 2.11x
Staffordshire 229 0.83x
Wiltshire 195 2.69x
Worcestershire 195 1.82x
Northamptonshire 175 2.27x
Essex 165 1.02x
Glamorgan 165 1.16x
Dorset 140 2.60x
Monmouthshire 128 2.16x
Nottinghamshire 127 1.15x
Herefordshire 91 2.71x
Angus 88 1.16x
Norfolk 86 0.68x
Fife 73 1.51x
Lincolnshire 70 0.53x
Cheshire 67 0.37x
Leicestershire 65 0.72x
Midlothian 63 0.57x
Sussex 60 0.43x
Shropshire 55 0.78x
Oxfordshire 48 0.95x
Suffolk 44 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 37 0.71x
Derbyshire 34 0.27x
Cornwall 28 0.30x
Pembrokeshire 28 1.08x
Buckinghamshire 26 0.53x
Perthshire 26 0.71x
Berkshire 23 0.37x
Renfrewshire 20 0.32x
Caernarfonshire 19 0.57x
Ayrshire 18 0.29x
Cumberland 18 0.26x
Carmarthenshire 17 0.49x
Channel Islands 17 0.70x
Morayshire 17 1.34x
Huntingdonshire 12 0.74x
Stirlingshire 11 0.36x
Anglesey 10 0.69x
Royal Navy 10 1.02x
Berwickshire 9 0.91x
West Lothian 9 0.73x
Argyllshire 8 0.35x
Bedfordshire 8 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 7 0.39x
East Lothian 7 0.65x
Hertfordshire 7 0.12x
Kinross-shire 7 3.38x
Orkney 7 0.78x
Radnorshire 7 1.06x
Kincardineshire 6 0.60x
Roxburghshire 6 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.18x
Peeblesshire 4 1.04x
Buteshire 2 0.40x
Isle of Man 2 0.13x
Flintshire 1 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.08x
Nairnshire 1 0.40x
Selkirkshire 1 0.13x
Westmorland 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 119 Summers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

Place Total Index
Aston 119 2.09x
Islington London 99 1.25x
Cruden 97 99.28x
Birmingham 90 1.31x
Govan 81 1.24x
Bethnal Green London 80 2.25x
Lambeth 65 0.91x
Liverpool 65 1.10x
Bermondsey 64 2.62x
Christchurch 64 17.58x
Kensington London 61 1.34x
Newington 59 1.95x
Glasgow 52 1.11x
Bristol St George 51 6.86x
Hamilton 50 6.77x
Barony 48 0.72x
Hackney London 48 1.05x
St Marylebone London 47 1.07x
Fraserburgh 46 21.54x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 45 2.97x
Camberwell 45 0.86x
Bishopwearmouth 44 2.10x
Portsea 44 1.34x
Southampton St Mary 44 4.17x
St Pancras London 44 0.67x
Rathen 41 51.57x
Stockton On Tees 41 3.49x
Bromley London 40 2.22x
Bedminster 39 3.15x
Gateshead 39 2.14x
Kirkdale 39 2.38x
Leamington Priors 39 7.67x
Whitfield 39 653.27x
Darlington 38 4.04x
Shoreditch London 38 1.07x
Clifton 37 4.56x
Bedlington 35 8.60x
Calne 35 23.46x
Stonehouse 35 38.94x
Dundee 34 1.20x
Paddington London 33 1.10x
Cheltenham 32 2.58x
Poplar London 32 2.07x
Battersea 31 1.03x
Mile End Old Town 31 2.40x
Basford 30 5.89x
Everton 29 0.94x
Nottingham St Mary 29 1.02x
Southwark St George Martyr 29 1.76x
Brightside Bierlow 28 1.76x
Dudley 27 2.08x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 27 0.61x
Kingston On Thames 27 2.82x
Wolverhampton 27 1.27x
Bradford On Avon 26 11.21x
Chippenham 25 16.45x
Great Malvern 25 11.20x
Oakford 25 179.73x
Studland 25 146.37x
Tipton 25 2.95x
Ardwick 24 2.74x
Clerkenwell London 24 1.24x
Manchester 24 0.55x
Salford 24 0.84x
West Bromwich 24 1.52x
Bedwellty 23 2.20x
Chelsea London 23 0.93x
Dartford 23 8.05x
Greenwich 23 1.76x
Radstone 23 707.69x
Eye Dunsden 22 90.09x
Ledbury 22 19.07x
Northrepps 22 136.90x
Peterhead 22 5.48x
Roath 22 3.40x
Rochester St Margaret 22 7.46x
Stinchcombe 22 233.55x
West Ham 22 0.62x
Wigan 22 1.62x
Challock 21 210.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 473
Elizabeth 282
Sarah 237
Ann 147
Eliza 139
Jane 135
Emma 115
Annie 105
Ellen 103
Emily 94
Alice 85
Margaret 69
Hannah 67
Louisa 65
Harriet 59
Fanny 55
Caroline 50
Martha 50
Charlotte 48
Maria 46
Florence 44
Edith 36
Catherine 33
Lucy 31
Kate 30
Anne 29
Susan 28
Clara 27
Frances 27
Harriett 27
Amelia 26
Julia 25
Agnes 24
Rose 24
Minnie 23
Sophia 22
Ada 19
Isabella 19
Amy 18
Rosa 18
Susannah 14
Jessie 13
Rebecca 13
Esther 12
Ethel 12
Gertrude 12
Matilda 12
Maud 12
Selina 11
Nellie 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 489
John 384
George 326
Thomas 237
James 227
Charles 158
Henry 157
Joseph 107
Robert 89
Alfred 79
Samuel 73
Edward 72
Albert 70
Frederick 70
Arthur 67
Walter 65
Richard 56
Ernest 44
Frank 42
Harry 41
Edwin 30
Herbert 30
David 27
Stephen 23
Wm. 23
Daniel 21
Benjamin 18
Tom 17
Francis 14
Matthew 14
Fred 13
Isaac 13
Fredrick 10
Peter 10
Thos. 10
Patrick 9
Sydney 9
Edmund 8
Elijah 8
Mark 8
Abraham 7
Andrew 7
Christopher 7
Frederic 7
Jesse 7
Oliver 7
Sidney 7
Percy 6
Robt. 6
Gilbert 5

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 Summers households.

FAQ

Summers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Summers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,369 people were recorded with the Summers surname. That placed it at #505 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Summers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,447 in 2016. That gives Summers a modern rank of #475.

What does the Summers surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked during the summer months or lived at a summer pasture.

What does the Summers map show?

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