2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Barum
A variant spelling of the English surname Barham, derived from a habitational name in Kent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Barum. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barum 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Barum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barum, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barum
The surname Barum has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bær" meaning "bare" or "naked" and "hum" meaning "river meadow" or "water meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near a bare or treeless river meadow.
One of the earliest known references to the name Barum can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Bærham, which is likely an early variant spelling of the surname.
In the 13th century, records show a Thomas de Barum who was a prominent landowner in Gloucestershire. His name appears in several legal documents and charters from that time period.
During the 14th century, the surname Barum began to appear more frequently in various records across different regions of England. One notable bearer of the name was John Barum, a merchant from Bristol who was active in the city's trade with the continent.
In the 16th century, the Barum family had a strong presence in the county of Wiltshire. Sir Thomas Barum, born in 1525, was a respected magistrate and served as the High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1562.
Another individual of note was William Barum, born in 1603, who was a renowned scholar and author. He wrote several influential works on theology and philosophy during the 17th century.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Barum was still prevalent in various parts of England. One notable figure was Robert Barum, born in 1712, who was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings in London.
In the 19th century, the Barum family had a strong presence in the county of Somerset. Samuel Barum, born in 1823, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as the mayor of Taunton from 1875 to 1878.
While the surname Barum has its roots in England, over time it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and exploration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English words that described a geographical feature, reflecting the importance of place names in the development of many English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barum
Among Census respondents with the surname Barum, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Barum 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 Barum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barum
Barum 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 (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,896 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,896 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 152 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 Barum 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 | #154,755 | 0.1% |
| Count | 105 | 102 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barum bearers went from 105 to 102 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,755.
FAQ
Barum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barum?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Barum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Barum?
Barum ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Barum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Barum.
Has Barum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barum went from 105 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Barum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barum, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Barum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Black (2.9%). 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 Barum (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 Barum mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Barham, derived from a habitational name in Kent. 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 Barum (0.03 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 Barum?
Want to know how common the surname Barum is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.