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Sommer Family History

Sommer Surname Meaning

German, Danish, and Norwegian: from Middle German sumer, Danish Norwegian sommer ‘summer’, a nickname for someone with a warm or sunny disposition, or for someone associated with the season of summer in some other way, e.g. because he was born or found (as a foundling) in this part of the year or through a tax or rent obligation or from living in a sunny place.

German: occupational name from Middle High German soumǣre summer, Middle Low German somer(e) ‘pack animal’ or a leader of those.

German: in some instances also a variant of Summer, a metonymic occupational name for a basketweaver or a drummer.

English and Scottish: variant of Summer.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Sommer ‘summer’, either an artificial name or one of the group of names referring to the seasons that were distributed at random by government officials when surnames became compulsory.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Sommer family from?

You can see how Sommer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sommer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sommer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 37 Sommer families living in London. This was about 37% of all the recorded Sommer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Sommer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sommer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Sommer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Sommer. 91% of Sommer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Sommer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    91%
  • Chambermaid
    10%

What Sommer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Sommer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sommer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sommer

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Sommer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Sommer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Sommer. For the veterans among your Sommer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sommer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sommer family history

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What is the average Sommer lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Sommer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Sommer in 1944 was 34, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sommer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sommer ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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