2000
#32,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Ankrum
A locational surname referring to someone from a place known as Ankrum or Ancrumb.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 753 Americans carry the last name Ankrum. That puts it at #36,629 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 455,185 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ankrum 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.
Bearers in the US
753
1 in 455,185
Census rank
#36,629
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
657
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 657 bearers of the surname Ankrum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36629th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ankrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ankrum
The surname Ankrum has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Anker," which means "anchor," suggesting a potential connection to maritime activities or occupations.
Ankrum is thought to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas near the North Sea coast where seafaring and fishing were prevalent. The name may have been adopted by individuals involved in these industries or might have been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near a harbor or worked with anchors.
Early records indicate that the name appeared in various forms, such as Ancker, Anker, and Ankrum, reflecting regional dialects and spelling variations common during that period. One of the earliest known instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Oldenburg, Germany, where a certain Hans Ankrum was listed in 1543.
In the 17th century, the Ankrum surname began to spread across Europe as people migrated and settled in different regions. Notable individuals bearing this name include Johann Ankrum, a merchant from Hamburg, who established a successful trading company in the Netherlands in the late 1600s.
As the centuries progressed, the Ankrum name appeared in various historical documents and records, such as the Prussian Census of 1811, which listed several families with this surname residing in the region of East Prussia (now part of modern-day Poland and Russia).
In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Friedrich Ankrum (1805-1878) gained recognition as a German philosopher and educator. He authored several influential works on ethics and education, contributing significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another notable individual was Wilhelm Ankrum (1862-1942), a German-born American industrialist who founded the Ankrum Manufacturing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His company played a pivotal role in the production of machinery and equipment during the early stages of industrialization in the United States.
As Ankrum families continued to migrate and settle in different parts of the world, the name became more widespread. For example, George Ankrum (1889-1968), an American actor, gained popularity for his roles in numerous Western films and television shows during the mid-20th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Ankrum has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and the enduring legacy of names passed down through generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ankrum
Among Census respondents with the surname Ankrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ankrum 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 Ankrum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 586
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 33
- Black or African American4.0% · 26
- Two or more races1.7% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ankrum
Ankrum 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
#32,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 702
+26 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 549 places
2020
#36,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 657
-45 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 3,919 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,161 | 676 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,710 | 702 | 0.24 | +26 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 549 places |
| 2020 | #36,629 | 657 | 0.22 | -45 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 3,919 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 Ankrum 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 | #32,710 | #36,629 | -12.0% |
| Count | 702 | 657 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.22 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ankrum bearers went from 702 to 657 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 3,919 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,710 to #36,629.
FAQ
Ankrum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ankrum?
Name Census estimates that about 753 living Americans carry the surname Ankrum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 455,185 residents.
How common is Ankrum?
Ankrum ranks #36,629 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 657 people with the surname Ankrum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (753), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Ankrum.
Has Ankrum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ankrum went from 702 recorded bearers to 657. That is a decrease of 45 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,710 to #36,629.
What does the Census say about the background of Ankrum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ankrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.0%). 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 Ankrum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (586 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ankrum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (5.0%), Black (4.0%). 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 Ankrum (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 Ankrum mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place known as Ankrum or Ancrumb. 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 Ankrum (0.22 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 surname Ankrum?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.