Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1920

Sumner

Meaning Sumner is a given name Gender Unisex · 8% girls Rank 2025 #5,580 Trend → Stable

Sumner is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Sumner Archibald Cunningham (1843–1913), American Confederate veteran and newspaper editor.

Rank 2025
#5,580
among boys · ↑1,203 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
23
named Sumner
How common
1 in 100,475
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1920
65 babies
All-time total
2,662
#2,912 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Sumner popularity over time

2,662 babies have been named Sumner since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 77 77 8 – #553
1890s – 43 43 4 -44% #872
1900s – 50 50 5 +16% #868
1910s – 339 339 34 +578% #882
1920s – 570 570 57 +68% #843
1930s – 269 269 27 -53% #1,061
1940s – 218 218 22 -19% #1,356
1950s – 122 122 12 -44% #1,740
1960s – 67 67 7 -45% #2,557
1970s 6 46 52 5 -22% #3,801
1980s 33 70 103 10 +98% #3,882
1990s 73 200 273 27 +165% #2,254
2000s 59 170 229 23 -16% #3,840
2010s 24 125 149 15 -35% #5,711
2020s (to 2025) 23 78 101 17 +13% #5,580

The story of Sumner

Sumner is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,580 in 2025 with 17 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,662 American babies have been named Sumner, about 92% boys and 8% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1920, when 65 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Sumner stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Sumner?

The median living Sumner is about 30 years old; half are between 18 and 56. An estimated 1,200 people named Sumner are alive in the United States today.

median 30 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Sumner year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 6 #14,728 17 #5,580
2024 – – 13 #6,783
2023 12 #8,927 11 #7,668
2022 5 #17,466 9 #8,892
2021 – – 12 #7,039
2020 – – 16 #5,664
2019 – – 11 #7,568
2018 5 #17,842 16 #5,744
2017 – – 11 #7,480
2016 – – 11 #7,544
2015 – – 16 #5,711
2014 – – 13 #6,581
2013 – – 14 #6,198
2012 6 #16,619 13 #6,590
2011 6 #16,536 10 #7,988
2010 7 #14,769 10 #8,056
2009 – – 18 #5,284
2008 5 #20,114 12 #7,126
2007 5 #20,208 15 #5,869
2006 5 #19,707 18 #5,043
2005 7 #14,330 19 #4,608
2004 5 #18,477 24 #3,840
2003 5 #18,081 19 #4,399
2002 8 #12,064 14 #5,362
2001 7 #13,323 14 #5,361
2000 12 #8,482 17 #4,542
1995 12 #7,461 19 #3,538
1990 – – 20 #3,153
1985 7 #9,173 11 #4,019
1980 – – 10 #4,093
1975 – – – –
1970 – – 7 #4,189
1965 – – 8 #3,222
1960 – – 10 #2,850
1955 – – 12 #2,420
1950 – – 19 #1,740
1945 – – 16 #1,763
1940 – – 20 #1,565
1935 – – 26 #1,350
1930 – – 40 #1,111
1925 – – 57 #898
1920 – – 65 #843
1915 – – 41 #995
1910 – – 13 #923
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 6 #1,289
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 7 #872
1885 – – 8 #758
1880 – – 10 #631

Famous people named Sumner

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Sumner Redstone Sumner Redstone American business and media magnate (1923–2020) Contemporary
  2. 2 Sumner Paine Sumner Paine American sport shooter 1868–1904 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Sumner, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Sumner?

The median living Sumner is about 30 years old. Half of all living Sumners are between 18 and 56 years old.

How many people named Sumner are alive today?

An estimated 1,200 people named Sumner are alive in the United States, based on 2,662 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Sumner mean?

Sumner is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Sumner Archibald Cunningham (1843–1913), American Confederate veteran and newspaper editor.

How popular is the name Sumner in 2025?

Sumner ranked #5,580 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 17 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Sumner?

2,662 babies have been named Sumner in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Sumner most popular?

Sumner peaked in 1920, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Sumner a boy or girl name?

Sumner is used for both: about 8% of babies named Sumner have been girls and 92% boys.

Is the name Sumner rising or falling?

Sumner has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Sumner?

Well-known people named Sumner include Sumner Redstone (businessperson), Sumner Paine (social activist).

Names like Sumner

Names that sound and feel close to Sumner: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Sumner with similar names → More names starting with S →