Personal Life
Sumner was married to Sue Barlow (born 1956) on 28 October 1978. They have a son James Christopher (born 1983). The couple divorced in 1989, just before the release of Technique, an experience reflected in the song Round & Round. Sue (and consequently James Christopher) is a relative of Gary Barlow.
Sumner lives in Alderley Edge, Cheshire with his second wife, Sarah Dalton. They have three children: Dylan Christian (born 1992), Tess Iona (born 1994) and Finley Emil (born 2003). He is a fan of Manchester United.
He is commonly known by the nickname "Barney", although he is reportedly not fond of the name. An early New Order bootleg credited him as "Barney Rubble".
In the past, Sumner has also used the surnames Dicken and Albrecht. He has always refused to explain why he has used different names. He has also been reluctant to discuss his family background. In 2007, it was revealed his mother had cerebral palsy and that he had been adopted by his stepfather John Dickin. "Sumner" was his mother's maiden name and is the name which appears on his birth certificate. The revelations about his past were made in a book about his life, Bernard Sumner: Confusion: Joy Division, Electronic and New Order Versus the World by David Nolan, published in 2008 – on which Sumner co-operated.
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