Explore the Family Name Suman

The meaning of Suman

1. Italian (northern): unexplained. 2. Croatian, Serbian, and Bosniak (Šuman): topographic name for someone who lived in a wood, derived from Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian šuma ‘wood, forest’. Compare Shuman. 3. Croatian: altered form, under Italian or Hungarian influence, of Šuman (see 2 above and 4 below), or perhaps a nickname derived from the root of sumnjati ‘doubt, suspicion’. 4. Slovenian, Croatian, Czech, and Slovak (Šuman): occupational name for a shoemaker, from German Schumann. Compare Shuman. 5. Czech and Slovak (Šuman): nickname derived from šum ‘noise, rustle’ (see Sum). Compare Shuman. 6. Indian and Bangladeshi: from a personal name based on a Sanskrit word meaning ‘flower’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Suman in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Suman saw a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 27,771 but fell to 28,967 in 2010, a decrease of 4.31 percent. The count of people carrying this surname increased slightly from 815 in 2000 to 820 in 2010, marking a growth of 0.61 percent. However, the proportion per 100,000 people dropped by 6.67 percent from 0.3 to 0.28 over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#27,771#28,967-4.31%
Count8158200.61%
Proportion per 100k0.30.28-6.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Suman

In terms of ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there were significant changes in the distribution for the surname Suman. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 7.85 percent in 2000 to 16.34 percent in 2010, representing a growth of 108.15 percent. A similar increase was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, which rose from 1.35 percent in 2000 to 2.80 percent in 2010, a change of 107.41 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as White decreased from 87.36 percent in 2000 to 78.90 percent in 2010, a reduction of 9.68 percent. There was also a decline in individuals identifying with two or more races, from 2.09 percent in 2000 to 1.34 percent in 2010, which is a decrease of 35.89 percent. There were no changes in the counts for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White87.36%78.9%-9.68%
Asian/Pacific Islander7.85%16.34%108.15%
Hispanic1.35%2.8%107.41%
Two or More Races2.09%1.34%-35.89%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%