Sumie

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Sumie

Pronounced SOO-mee-eh /ˈsuː.mi.e/Medium

Meaning: Sumie is a Japanese given name whose meaning is carried by its kanji rather than its sound. Common writings pair sumi, often 'clear' or 'pure', with e, an element meaning 'blessing', 'branch' or 'beauty', but the reading alone does not fix one meaning. It was borne by Issei and Nisei Japanese American women.Low

In 30 seconds: Sumie is a Japanese girl's name, its meaning set by the written characters rather than the sound. It was borne by Japanese American families early in the twentieth century (said SOO-mee-eh).

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Origin MediumJapanese

MeaningSumie is a Japanese given name whose meaning is carried by its kanji rather than its sound. Common writings pair sumi, often 'clear' or 'pure', with e, an element meaning 'blessing', 'branch' or 'beauty', but the reading alone does not fix one meaning. It was borne by Issei and Nisei Japanese American women.

U.S. rank (1940)#4956 ↘ Falling

1940 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1927

Total births (all-time)≈ 223

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sumie appears in United States records among Issei and Nisei families, the first and second generations of Japanese Americans, in the decades before the Second World War. Its meaning lives in the kanji rather than the romanized spelling, most often combining sumi, frequently 'clear' or 'pure', with e, a warm element such as 'blessing' or 'beauty'. It was never common, given to only a couple dozen girls a year.

The name's American use runs from the mid-1910s and thins out around 1940, the years when Japanese American families were uprooted and confined in wartime incarceration camps, and it did not recover afterward. A woman named Sumie from its quiet peak would be a great-grandmother today, and the name remains a dignified marker of that early immigrant generation.

Did you know? Like many Japanese names, Sumie has no single meaning apart from its characters: the same sound could be written to mean 'clear blessing' or something quite different.

Overall data confidence 45%

References - Sumie — Japanese given name, meaning kanji-dependent; Issei/Nisei Japanese American cohort

Variations

SumikoSumiSumaye

Nicknames

SumiSue

Famous Bearers

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If you like Sumie…

Sumiko— shares the same sumi- root and Japanese American era

Yoshie— a like -e ending Japanese girl's name of the period

Kimie— another -e Japanese name of the same generation

Emiko— a warm Japanese girl's name in similar style

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Sumie mean?

It is a Japanese girl's name whose meaning depends on its characters, often pairing sumi, 'clear' or 'pure', with e, a warm element like 'blessing'.

How do you pronounce Sumie?

It's said SOO-mee-eh /ˈsuː.mi.e/, three syllables, with the stress on the first.

Is Sumie a boy or girl name?

Sumie is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Sumie?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only a couple dozen girls a year and fading around the late nineteen-thirties.