Sumner
Sumner is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Sumner Archibald Cunningham (1843–1913), American Confederate veteran and newspaper editor. Sumner Gerard, American businessman and diplomat, US Ambassador to Jamaica Sumner Paine, 1896 Olympic shooting gold and silver medalist Sumner Chilton Powell, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1964 Sumner Redstone, Chairman of…
Meaning & Origin of Sumner
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sumner is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Sumner Archibald Cunningham (1843–1913), American Confederate veteran and newspaper editor. Sumner Gerard, American businessman and diplomat, US Ambassador to Jamaica Sumner Paine, 1896 Olympic shooting gold and silver medalist Sumner Chilton Powell, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1964 Sumner Redstone, Chairman of…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sumner
As a girl name
Sumner first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1979, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1997, when 13 Sumners were born — ranking #6,844 that year. As of 2026, Sumner ranks #8,472 for girls with 12 births, with steady use. In total, more than 212 Sumners have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Sumner first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 65 Sumners were born — ranking #835 that year. As of 2026, Sumner ranks #6,971 for boys with 11 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 2K Sumners have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sumner
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sumner is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sumner
What does the name Sumner mean?
How popular is Sumner in 2026?
When was Sumner most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sumner most popular?
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About the name Sumner
Sumner is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Sumner's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #527. Use the chart and map above to compare Sumner's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.