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

Barnum, 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 Barnum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barnum in America

Barnum is the 5692nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barnum surname appeared 6,090 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Barnum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barnum 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 Barnum

The surname BARNUM has its origins in medieval England, specifically in the county of Shropshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bær" meaning "bear" and "holm" meaning "hill" or "island," forming the compound word "bærholm," which referred to a hill or island where bears once lived or roamed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bernham." This entry suggests that the name may have originally been associated with a place or settlement bearing a similar name, likely referring to a location with a bear-inhabited hill or island.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Bernum" and "Bernham," indicating the gradual evolution of the spelling towards its modern form. During this period, the name was predominantly found in the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire, suggesting a concentration of families bearing this surname in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname BARNUM include John Barnum, a 15th-century English landowner and member of the gentry in Shropshire, and Sir Walter Barnum, a knight who served under King Henry VIII in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the surname gained wider recognition with the birth of Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891), the renowned American showman and entrepreneur known as the "Greatest Showman on Earth." He founded the Barnum & Bailey Circus, which became one of the most famous circuses in the world.

Another notable figure was William H. Barnum (1818-1885), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut in the mid-19th century.

In the 20th century, the BARNUM surname was carried by individuals such as Henry A. Barnum (1882-1964), an American engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of the modern suspension bridge.

Throughout its history, the surname BARNUM has maintained its connection to its Old English roots, with the bear motif often being associated with the name, reflecting its origins as a place name derived from a bear-inhabited location.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barnum

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

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

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

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