Surname Sommerfeld - Meaning and Origin

Decoding the Saga of Sommerfeld: My Compelling Journey with iGENEA DNA Test

Embark on my journey of discovering hidden roots and ancestral mystery behind my surname, Sommerfeld, through iGENEA DNA test. Experience the thrill of learning about ancient migrations, tracing lineage, and connecting with a global family.

G. Sommerfeld

Sommerfeld: What does the surname Sommerfeld mean?

The surname Sommerfeld is of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin, derived from the German word “sommer”, which means “summer”. The surname was likely originally given to a person who lived in or near a summer field. It is also possible that the name originally referred to someone who lived in or near a home where the family did a lot of summer activities.

The earliest instance of the surname Sommerfeld can be traced back to the 10th century, in Thuringia, Germany where it was used as a given name. Over the centuries, the surname was adopted by different ethnic groups throughout Europe and the Americas, including German Jews.

To this day, the Sommerfeld family is still well represented in Germany and other parts of Europe. The name is also common in Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, as well as North and South America.

The Sommerfeld name continues to have a strong tradition in German and other European cultures, while also representing a diverse variety of backgrounds across the world. It is known to be a symbol of strength, tenacity and endurance, and of a family that has endured many changes yet remains united.

Sommerfeld: Where does the name Sommerfeld come from?

The last name Sommerfeld is most predominantly found in Germany with the most dense concentrations in the states of Berlin, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Lower Saxony. In recent years, Sommerfeld has grown more widespread as a result of increased globalization and migration. The name is also prevalent in the Netherlands and Austria, where many German-speaking immigrants settled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It can also be found in Scandinavia, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as those regions have had significant German immigration in the past 150 years.

Sommerfeld as a surname originated from the Middle Ages as an occupational surname, likely derived from the German words 'sumar' (summer) and 'feld' (field). This would imply that the name referred to someone who worked in an agricultural field during the summer months. Over time and through migration, the last name evolved and was adopted by several families across Europe, especially in Germany.

Today, the last name Sommerfeld is still flourishing across the world. It remains a common surname in many of its original locations as well as locations to which the name had spread. Thanks to genealogy websites and tools, it is relatively easy to trace the various branches of the family and discover further information about its origin and descendants.

Variations of the surname Sommerfeld

The surname Sommerfeld can be spelled in several ways, as well as have variants and surnames of the same origin.

The main variant is the spelling Sommerfield, where double m is dropped from the spelling. Somerfield is another variant of this surname, where the letter r has been included and the last b omitted from the spelling.

The surnames of similar origin include Sommerfelth, Summerfield, Summerfelt, and Summerfelter, where a an extra letter has been added or substituted in the original spelling. Another variant similar is the spelling Sommersfeld, where a letter s has been included and the two instances of double m dropped.

In Germany, other surnames having their origin from the surname Sommerfeld are Sommerfhil, Sommerfeldt and Sommerfuhr.

Apart from these, variants such as Sommersville, Sommersved, Sommersville and Sommersvil are also found in certain parts of Europe, like in Austria, Netherlands and Russia.

The surname Sommerfeld is also found in North America, where it is spelled Sommerfield.

To sum up, there are numerous variants and surnames that have their origin from the name Sommerfeld, and the spellings and spellings can differ depending on the country.

Famous people with the name Sommerfeld

• Arnold Sommerfeld: German theoretical physicist who made contributions to quantum theory and atomic and molecular structure.
• Fritz Haber: German chemist and Nobel Prize winner who worked with Arnold Sommerfeld on quantum mechanics.
• Max Born: German mathematician and physicist who worked with Arnold Sommerfeld and Emmy Noether on quantum mechanics and relativity.
• Arthur Sommerfeld: German naval officer who served during World War I and later wrote several books about seafaring.
• Adolf Sommerfeld: German biologist and botanist who studied lichen and mosses.
• Bernhard Sommerfeld: German philosophy professor who specialized in the history of logic, and was a friend of the German philosopher Plato.
• Ernst Julius Sommerfeld: German mathematician and physicist who worked on the mathematical methods of quantum mechanics and was a colleague of Arnold Sommerfeld.
• Emil Sommerfeld: German physicist and mathematician who worked on quantum mechanics and in particular the mathematics of relativity.
• Wilhelm Sommerfeld: German astronomer who studied the solar system and was a prominent figure in early attempts to measure the distances between stars.
• Olaf Sommerfeld: German physicist and professor at the University of Göttingen who worked in the field of astrophysics.

Other surnames

Sommerfeldt