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

Altum, 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 Altum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Altum in America

Altum is the 72771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Altum surname appeared 267 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 Altum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Altum 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 Altum

The surname Altum originated in Germany during the medieval period, deriving from the Old German word "alt," meaning old or ancient. It likely referred to someone who lived in an older settlement or a family that had ancestral ties to a particular region.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century, with records showing individuals bearing the name Altum in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the former Duchy of Saxony, where a certain Johannes Altum is mentioned in a land transaction dated 1096.

In the 12th century, the name appears in the Annales Rodenses, a chronicle of the Abbey of Roda in Saxony-Anhalt, where a monk named Willebrandus Altum is recorded as having lived and worked in the monastery during that time.

During the 13th century, the surname Altum gained prominence in the city of Cologne, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Hildebrandus Altum, a respected merchant and city councilor who lived from 1215 to 1287.

In the 14th century, the name Altum is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. A certain Albertus Altum is mentioned as a landowner in the region in the year 1349.

In the 15th century, the name Altum appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, including the Low Countries and the British Isles. One notable individual from this era was Johanna Altum, a Dutch writer and poet who lived from 1430 to 1498 and is remembered for her contributions to the literary culture of the time.

As the centuries progressed, the Altum surname continued to be found throughout Germany and neighboring regions, with various spellings and variations emerging, such as Altum, Altumm, and Althuhn. While not a particularly common name, individuals bearing the surname Altum have left their mark in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Altum

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

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 Altum 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 Altum 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 Altum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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