Total births
2,444
Unisex name · since 1880
Sumner
2,444 babies named Sumner in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6473
- among boys today
- 2,444
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sumner is the #6473 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 2,444 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Sumner recorded 2,444 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #6473 nationally today, ahead of 55% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #6473 among boys today
- 2,444 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 55% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sumner is currently the #6473 unisex name in America, more common than 55% of boys - 2,444 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6473
- among boys today
- 2,444
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other boys
Sumner vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6473
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 55% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Sumner was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
65 babies were named Sumner in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Sumner compares
2,444 Top 19% higher than 81% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sumner's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sumner | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,444 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 65 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sumner's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sumner's full recorded timeline at 1951, 35% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 65% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 65 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sumner at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#6,473
Active since
1880
Sumner popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sumner popularity over time - girls
218 total births recorded since 1979 (Sumner as girls' name)
Sumner by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Sumner's strongest decade.
570 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Sumner births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 77
1880s
77 births
- 1890s 43
1890s
43 births
- 1900s 50
1900s
50 births
- 1910s
1910s
339 births
- 1920s
1920s
570 births
- 1930s
1930s
269 births
- 1940s 218
1940s
218 births
- 1950s 122
1950s
122 births
- 1960s 67
1960s
67 births
- 1970s 46
1970s
46 births
- 1980s 70
1980s
70 births
- 1990s 200
1990s
200 births
- 2000s 170
2000s
170 births
- 2010s 125
2010s
125 births
- 2020s 78
2020s
78 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 570 births (23% of all-time use).
How Sumner compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sumner's total volume
Sumner vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sumner by state
Where Sumner concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 640 | 26.2% |
| #2 | Maine | | 17 | 0.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 15 | 0.6% |
| #4 | California | | 11 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.2% |
Massachusetts share of Sumner's total US births 26.2%
Even split
640 of 2,444 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sumner? ▼
Sumner has been given to 2,444 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #6473 as of the latest data. 65 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Sumner most popular? ▼
Sumner was most popular in the 1920s decade with 570 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Sumner most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sumner are Massachusetts (640 births), Maine (17 births), New York (15 births).
Is Sumner a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Sumner is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 2,444 births, and as a girl's name it has 218 births.
How long has the name Sumner been used? ▼
Records for Sumner go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sumner? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Summit, Summer, Sumit, Sumeet, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sumner's data
- Sumner's decade-level peak was the 1920s (570 total births); usage has since declined to 78 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Sumners (640 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sumner
Nearby Names Like Sumner
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sumner
Summit Boy
#1828 1,024 births
Summer Boy
#9089 254 births
Sumit Boy
250 births
Sumeet Boy
231 births
Sumedh Boy
124 births
Compare Sumner side by side: Sumner vs Summit Sumner vs Summer Sumner vs Sumit
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sumner
Haywood #6472
6,541 births · Peak 1919
Zeb #6474
2,750 births · Peak 1979
Cleveland #6471
21,945 births · Peak 1947
Llewellyn #6475
3,414 births · Peak 1916
Rubin #6470
7,054 births · Peak 1923
Buster #6476
8,173 births · Peak 1918
Mose #6469
7,935 births · Peak 1919
Richmond #6477
4,305 births · Peak 1921
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sumner: #6473 Unisex Name - 2,444 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sumner. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sumner draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.