2000
#87,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Absalom
A Biblical surname derived from the Hebrew name Avshalom, meaning "my father is peace."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 203 Americans carry the last name Absalom. That puts it at #107,024 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,688,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Absalom surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Absalom with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
203
1 in 1,688,445
Census rank
#107,024
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
177
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 177 bearers of the surname Absalom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 107024th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Absalom, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Absalom
The surname Absalom has its origins in the Hebrew biblical name Avshalom, which translates to "father of peace" or "the peaceful father." This name can be traced back to ancient Israel and is most famously associated with Absalom, the son of King David, who rebelled against his father in the Bible.
The name Absalom is believed to have first emerged as a surname in Medieval England, where it was adopted by families who may have had a connection to the biblical figure or were drawn to the name's meaning. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Absalom can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
One notable early bearer of the surname Absalom was Sir John Absalom, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1343, where he is referred to as a landowner in Cambridgeshire. Another early reference can be found in the Chancery Proceedings of 1487, which mentions a Thomas Absalom from Oxfordshire.
In the 16th century, the surname Absalom appeared in various spellings, such as Abselom, Abselome, and Abselam, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that time. One notable individual from this period was Sir Thomas Absalom (c. 1558 - 1640), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire.
During the 17th century, the surname Absalom gained additional prominence through the works of John Milton, who featured the biblical figure Absalom in his epic poem "Paradise Lost." This literary connection may have contributed to the continued use and recognition of the surname.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname Absalom include:
1. William Absalom (1653 - 1716), an English clergyman and author.
2. Edward Absalom (1758 - 1823), an English naval officer and explorer.
3. John Absalom (1818 - 1895), an English cricketer who played for Sussex County Cricket Club.
4. Henry Absalom (1838 - 1908), an English artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life.
5. George Absalom (1861 - 1938), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire.
While the surname Absalom has its roots in ancient Hebrew traditions, it has become a part of the broader cultural fabric, particularly in English-speaking countries, where it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Absalom
Among Census respondents with the surname Absalom, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Absalom bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Absalom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.4% · 114
- Black or African American20.3% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 14
- Two or more races4.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Absalom
Absalom appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#96,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
-9 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 9,070 places
2020
#107,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 177
-11 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 10,225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #87,729 | 197 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #96,799 | 188 | 0.06 | -9 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 9,070 places |
| 2020 | #107,024 | 177 | 0.06 | -11 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 10,225 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Absalom surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #96,799 | #107,024 | -10.6% |
| Count | 188 | 177 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Absalom bearers went from 188 to 177 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 10,225 positions in the national ranking, going from #96,799 to #107,024.
FAQ
Absalom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Absalom?
Name Census estimates that about 203 living Americans carry the surname Absalom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,688,445 residents.
How common is Absalom?
Absalom ranks #107,024 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 177 people with the surname Absalom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (203), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Absalom.
Has Absalom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Absalom went from 188 recorded bearers to 177. That is a decrease of 11 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #96,799 to #107,024.
What does the Census say about the background of Absalom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Absalom, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Hispanic (7.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Absalom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.4% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Absalom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.4%), Black (20.3%), Hispanic (7.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Absalom (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Absalom mean?
A Biblical surname derived from the Hebrew name Avshalom, meaning "my father is peace." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Absalom (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Absalom?
You can see how common the surname Absalom is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.