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

Bahm, 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 Bahm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bahm in America

Bahm is the 27646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bahm surname appeared 870 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 Bahm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bahm 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 Bahm

The surname BAHM is of German origin, traced back to the Middle Ages. Its earliest recorded spelling appears to be "Bahm" in the region of Bavaria during the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "bahmin," meaning "to beat or pound." This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have worked as blacksmiths or in a related trade involving hammering and metalwork.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BAHM surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where a certain "Johannes Bahm" is mentioned in a land transaction dated 1387. Another early reference is in the parish records of Nuremberg, where a "Hans Bahm" is listed as a resident in 1458.

In the 16th century, the BAHM name appears to have spread across various regions of Germany, with records indicating families in Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Bahm (1501-1572), a Lutheran theologian and author from Nuremberg, and Caspar Bahm (1550-1624), a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg.

As the name gained prominence, it also saw variations in spelling, such as "Bahme," "Bahmer," and "Bahmen." These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices at the time.

In the 17th century, the BAHM surname is found in the records of the Thirty Years' War, with several soldiers bearing the name serving in various Protestant armies. One such individual was Hans Bahm (1610-1678), a cavalry officer from Saxony who fought against the Catholic forces.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw the BAHM name spread beyond Germany, with families emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Notably, Johann Bahm (1740-1815) was a German-American farmer and landowner in Pennsylvania, while Friedrich Bahm (1801-1879) was a renowned philosopher and educator from Saxony.

Throughout history, the BAHM surname has been carried by individuals from various professions, including artisans, scholars, soldiers, and entrepreneurs. While not an exceptionally common name, it has left its mark across generations, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of its German roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bahm

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!