Find out how popular the last name Altom is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Altom.

Altom, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Altom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Altom in America

Altom is the 24934th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Altom surname appeared 997 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Altom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Altom to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Altom

The surname ALTOM has its origins in the German language and is believed to have first appeared in the region of Lower Saxony in the early 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "alt," meaning "old," and the word "heim," which refers to a homestead or dwelling place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ALTOM can be found in the Annals of Quedlinburg, a medieval chronicle documenting events in the region between the years 1008 and 1030. In this text, a landowner by the name of Altom von Braunschweig is mentioned as having donated a portion of his estate to the Quedlinburg Abbey.

During the 13th century, the ALTOM name began to spread across other parts of Northern Germany, with records indicating families bearing the name in cities such as Bremen and Hamburg. It is believed that some members of the ALTOM family may have been among the merchants and traders who traveled along the Hanseatic trade routes during this period.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Johannes ALTOM (1420-1487) was a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Leipzig. His writings on ecclesiastical law and canon law were widely studied and influenced the intellectual landscape of the time.

Another prominent individual with the ALTOM surname was Margarethe ALTOM (1535-1612), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from the town of Lüneburg. She is remembered for her generous donations to various charitable causes and for establishing a school for orphaned children in her hometown.

In the 17th century, a branch of the ALTOM family migrated to the Netherlands, where they settled in the city of Amsterdam. One of their descendants, Willem ALTOM (1672-1745), became a successful merchant and trader, establishing a thriving business dealing in textiles and spices from the Dutch East Indies.

As the centuries passed, the ALTOM name continued to spread across Europe and eventually found its way to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. Despite its widespread distribution, the name has retained its connection to its Germanic roots and the historical significance of its origins in Lower Saxony.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Altom

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Altom.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Altom was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Altom has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Altom was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Altom, please contact us.

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