2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arnim
A locational surname derived from the German town of Arnim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Arnim. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arnim 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Arnim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arnim, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arnim
The surname ARNIM originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "arn" meaning "eagle" or "raptor," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational name for someone who worked with birds of prey.
The ARNIM family is first recorded in the region of Brandenburg, where they held lands and estates near the town of Arnim, now part of Berlin. The name is closely associated with this area, and it is likely that the family took their surname from the place name.
One of the earliest mentions of the ARNIM name can be found in a document from 1285, which refers to a knight named Henricus de Arnim. In the 14th century, the family rose to prominence, with members holding important positions in the courts of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
Notable figures from the ARNIM family include Achim von Arnim (1781-1831), a German poet, novelist, and prominent figure in the Romantic movement. His wife, Bettina von Arnim (1785-1859), was also a writer and is known for her correspondence with Goethe.
Another distinguished member of the ARNIM family was Harry von Arnim (1824-1881), a Prussian general who commanded the Army of the Rhine during the Franco-Prussian War. He played a crucial role in the victory at Sedan, which led to the capture of Napoleon III.
In the 16th century, a branch of the ARNIM family settled in Pomerania, where they acquired the estate of Suckow. This line of the family produced several notable figures, including Georg Dietlof von Arnim-Suckow (1663-1741), a Prussian statesman and diplomat.
The ARNIM name has also been associated with various place names throughout its history. For example, the town of Arnim in Brandenburg is believed to have derived its name from the family. Additionally, there are villages and estates in Pomerania, such as Arnimswalde and Arnimsruh, that bear the family name.
Throughout the centuries, the ARNIM family has played a significant role in German history, with many members holding prominent positions in the military, politics, and the arts. Despite its long and illustrious history, the name ARNIM remains closely tied to its origins in the region of Brandenburg.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arnim
Among Census respondents with the surname Arnim, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Arnim 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 Arnim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arnim
Arnim 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,060 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 11,060 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,461 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 Arnim 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 | #154,907 | #149,446 | 3.5% |
| Count | 105 | 110 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arnim bearers went from 105 to 110 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #149,446.
FAQ
Arnim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arnim?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Arnim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Arnim?
Arnim ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Arnim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Arnim.
Has Arnim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arnim went from 105 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Arnim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arnim, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Arnim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arnim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Arnim (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 Arnim mean?
A locational surname derived from the German town of Arnim. 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 Arnim (0.04 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 Arnim?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Arnim, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.