2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bagum
A surname indicating a person's ancestors were from the village of Bagun in India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 296 Americans carry the last name Bagum. That puts it at #79,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,157,954 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bagum 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 Bagum with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
296
1 in 1,157,954
Census rank
#79,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
258
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 258 bearers of the surname Bagum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagum, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bagum
The surname BAGUM has its origins rooted in the ancient Indian subcontinent, tracing back to the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhagavat," meaning "revered one" or "divine." The earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used as a title of respect or veneration.
During the medieval period, the name BAGUM gained prominence in the region now known as Bangladesh, particularly among the ruling elite and aristocratic families. Several historical figures bore this surname, including Bakhtiyar Khilji Bagum, a renowned military commander who played a crucial role in the conquest of Bengal in the late 12th century.
In the 14th century, a prominent scholar and poet named Badr Bagum authored several influential works on Sufi mysticism and Islamic philosophy. His writings were widely acclaimed and studied across the region, cementing the BAGUM name's association with intellectual and spiritual pursuits.
As the Mughal Empire expanded its influence across the Indian subcontinent in the 16th century, the BAGUM surname gained further recognition. One notable figure was Nur Jahan Bagum, the wife of Emperor Jahangir, who wielded significant political power and patronized the arts and architecture during her reign.
In the 19th century, the BAGUM surname was prominently featured in the historical records of the British East India Company. Khwaja Abdul Gani Bagum, a prominent Bengali lawyer and activist, played a pivotal role in the independence movement, advocating for the rights of the native population against British colonial rule.
Throughout its rich history, the BAGUM surname has been associated with various professions, from military leaders and scholars to artists and activists. Some other notable individuals bearing this name include the 18th-century poet Mir Jamal Bagum, the 19th-century educator and social reformer Rokeya Sakhawat Bagum, and the 20th-century painter and art patron Shahid Bagum.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bagum
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagum, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bagum 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 Bagum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.5% · 249
- Two or more races1.9% · 5
- White0.4% · 1
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bagum
Bagum 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
#95,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192
+66 bearers (+52.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 30,524 places
2020
#79,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 258
+66 bearers (+34.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 15,534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,115 | 192 | 0.07 | +66 bearers (+52.4%) | Up 30,524 places |
| 2020 | #79,581 | 258 | 0.09 | +66 bearers (+34.4%) | Up 15,534 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 Bagum 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 | #95,115 | #79,581 | 16.3% |
| Count | 192 | 258 | 34.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 23.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bagum bearers went from 192 to 258 (+34.4% change). The surname moved up 15,534 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,115 to #79,581.
FAQ
Bagum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bagum?
Name Census estimates that about 296 living Americans carry the surname Bagum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,157,954 residents.
How common is Bagum?
Bagum ranks #79,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 258 people with the surname Bagum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (296), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Bagum.
Has Bagum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bagum went from 192 recorded bearers to 258. That is an increase of 66 (+34.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,115 to #79,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Bagum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagum, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (0.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bagum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (249 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bagum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.5%), Two or More Races (1.9%), White (0.4%). 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 Bagum (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 Bagum mean?
A surname indicating a person's ancestors were from the village of Bagun in India. 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 Bagum (0.09 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 Americans have the surname Bagum?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.