2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bausum
A German occupational surname referring to a builder or architect.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Bausum. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bausum 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Bausum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bausum, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bausum
The surname BAUSUM is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the early medieval period around the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "bauen," which means "to build" or "to cultivate," combined with the suffix "-sum," indicating a place or location. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a farmstead, village, or area where agricultural activities took place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BAUSUM can be found in the 14th-century Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony in Germany. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Bawsum" and "Bausum," indicating the variation in orthography during that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name BAUSUM was Johann Bausum, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Nuremberg. He was born in 1521 and played a significant role in the local trade guild, contributing to the economic prosperity of the region.
Another individual of historical significance was Gertrude Bausum, who lived in the late 17th century. She was a respected herbalist and midwife in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and her compassionate care for mothers and newborns.
In the early 19th century, the name BAUSUM was associated with a family of skilled artisans and craftsmen. One notable member was Wilhelm Bausum, born in 1803, who gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and furniture designs. His works were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons throughout Germany and neighboring regions.
Another individual of note was Margarethe Bausum, who lived in the late 18th century. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education, establishing one of the first schools for girls in the city of Frankfurt. Her efforts paved the way for greater educational opportunities for women in Germany.
Over the centuries, the BAUSUM name has also been linked to various place names in Germany, such as Bausum, a small village located in the state of Lower Saxony, and Bausumberge, a hill near the city of Cologne. These place names likely originated from the same root word and may have influenced the surname's development and distribution across different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bausum
Among Census respondents with the surname Bausum, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bausum 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 Bausum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 101
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bausum
Bausum 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,195 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 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,384 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 4,195 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 Bausum 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 | #149,395 | #153,590 | -2.8% |
| Count | 110 | 104 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bausum bearers went from 110 to 104 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 4,195 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #153,590.
FAQ
Bausum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bausum?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Bausum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Bausum?
Bausum ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Bausum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Bausum.
Has Bausum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bausum went from 110 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Bausum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bausum, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Bausum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bausum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (1.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Bausum (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 Bausum mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a builder or architect. 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 Bausum (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 common is the surname Bausum?
See how many Americans have the surname Bausum on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.