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Somers Family History

Somers Name Meaning

Irish: adopted for Ó Somacháin; see Summers . Irish: in Northern Ireland adopted for Gaelic Mag Shamradháin; see McGovern . In Irish samhradh means ‘summer’. English (Somerset): variant of Summers . Dutch and Flemish: from Middle Dutch somer ‘summer’ a nickname for someone of a warm disposition or for someone associated with the season in some other way. Dutch and Flemish: habitational or topographic name referring to a house named De Zomer (‘The Summer’) or a topographic name for someone from a location named with zomer ‘summer’ such as Zomerdijk (‘summer dyke’). Dutch and Flemish: occupational name for a craftsman who hems (textile plasterwork baskets barrels) derived from somen ‘to hem’.7: Dutch and Flemish: nickname from Middle Dutch somer ‘pack animal’.8: Dutch: in part of German origin (see Sommers ).

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


Similar surnames: Somer, Sommers, Sommer, Sobers, Tomes, Simmers, Sayers, Gowers, Siers

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Where is the Somers family from?

You can see how Somers families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Somers family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Somers families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 188 Somers families living in Ontario. This was about 40% of all the recorded Somers's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Somers families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Somers surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Somers ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Somers. 38% of Somers men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Somers women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Somers were Carpenter and Laundress. .

View Census Data for Somers | 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 Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    38%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    19%
  • Student
    16%
  • Stenographer
    16%
  • Laundress
    13%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Somers family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 91,000 census records available for the last name Somers. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Somers census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Somers

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Somers. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Somers immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Somers. For the veterans among your Somers ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Somers lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Somers life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Somers in 1941 was 67, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Somers

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