Contents [hide]

Sumner History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Sumner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The saga of the name Sumner follows a line reaching back through history to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for someone who worked as a "summoner", a petty officer who cited and warned people to appear in court. The surname Sumner is derived from the Anglo-French words somenour and sumenour, which in turn were derived from the Old French words somoneor and semoneor, which mean summoner.

Early Origins of the Sumner family

The surname Sumner was first found in Oxfordshire at Bicester where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say at the time of the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Sumner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sumner research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1635, 1669 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Sumner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sumner Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Sumner were recorded, including Sumner, Sumners and others.

Early Notables of the Sumner family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Willaim Somner (1598-1669), an Anglo-Saxon scholar, baptised in the church of St. Margaret, Canterbury. His father held the office of registrary of the court of Canterbury, under Sir Nathaniel Brent, commissary. "After passing through the free school at...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sumner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sumner Ranking

In the United States, the name Sumner is the 1,563^rd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Sumner is ranked the 981^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,113 people with that name. 2

Sumner migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Sumner family emigrate to North America:

Sumner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. William Sumner of Oxford who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Dorchester 3
Mrs. Mary West Sumner of Oxford who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Dorchester 3
Mr. William Sumner, Jr., of Oxford who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Dorchester 3
Thomas Sumner, who landed in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1643 4
Eliz Sumner, who landed in Virginia in 1651 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sumner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Sumner, who landed in Georgia in 1743 4

Sumner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A. Sumner, who settled in San Francisco, California in 1850
Cyrus Sumner, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
G Sumner, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4

Sumner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sumner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Daniel Sumner, who landed in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760

Sumner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sumner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Sumner, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Chestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Robert Sumner, English convict from Wiltshire, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
William Sumner, English convict from Wiltshire, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
Mr. Henry Sumner, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. William Sumner, British Convict who was convicted in Knutsford (Nether Knutsford), Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sumner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sumner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Sumner, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Midlothian" in 1859

Contemporary Notables of the name Sumner (post 1700) +

Gordon Matthew Sumner CBE (b. 1951), English Rock musician, known by the nickname "Sting", recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, and an Oscar nomination for best song
Edwin Vose Sumner (1797-1863), American soldier who became a Union general in the Civil War
Charles Edward "Charlie" Sumner (1930-2015), American football player and coach
Jethro Exum Sumner (1733-1785), Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
Thomas Waldron Sumner (1768-1849), American architect and government representative in Boston, Massachusetts
Thomas Hubbard Sumner (1807-1876), American sea captain, best known for developing the celestial navigation method known as the Sumner Line or line of position, eponym of the USS Sumner (AG-32/AGS-5)USNS and the Sumner (T-AGS-61)
Allen M. Sumner (1882-1918), American officer in the United States Marine Corps, eponym of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers, including the USS Sumner (DD-333) and USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692)
Charles Sumner (1811-1874), American politician and senator from Massachusetts
Joseph Burton Sumner (1837-1920), American politician, eponym and first mayor of Sumner, Mississippi
John Daniel Sumner (1924-1998), American singer and songwriter
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Sumner family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Sumner, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 9

HMS Royal Oak

Percy Sumner (d. 1939), British Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 10

North Sea Flood

James Sumner, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Thomas Sumner, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in a collapsible 11

SS Atlantic

Albert Sumner, American traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. Oren Sumner, American Seaman Second Class from New Mexico, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 12

The Sumner Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In medio tutissimus ibis
Motto Translation: Thou wilt go safest in the middle.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html