2000
#7,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Behm
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the German word "Böhm" or "Böhme," meaning a person from Bohemia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,216 Americans carry the last name Behm. That puts it at #7,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Behm 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
5.2K
1 in 65,712
Census rank
#7,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,549 bearers of the surname Behm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Behm, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Behm
The surname BEHM has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Pomerania and Mecklenburg.
One theory suggests that BEHM is derived from the Old Germanic word "bahm," which means "tree" or "wood." This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a wooded area or worked as a forester or woodcutter.
Another possibility is that BEHM is a topographical name, referring to someone who lived near a specific landmark or geographic feature. In this case, it may have derived from the Old German word "bām," meaning "beam" or "tree trunk," suggesting a connection to a prominent tree or wooden structure.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname BEHM date back to the 13th century. One notable example is Heinrich BEHM, a merchant from the city of Lübeck who was mentioned in records from the year 1278.
In the 15th century, the name BEHM appeared in several historical documents, including the Bürgerregister (citizen register) of the city of Rostock from 1419, where a certain Hinrik BEHM was listed as a citizen.
During the 16th century, the BEHM family gained prominence in the city of Stralsund, where they were involved in maritime trade and held influential positions. One notable figure was Johann BEHM (1515-1588), a merchant and city councilor who played an important role in the city's economic and political affairs.
Another notable individual was Martin BEHM (1557-1622), a German mathematician and cartographer who is best known for his work on the Cosmographia, a collection of maps and geographical descriptions published in 1592.
In the 17th century, the BEHM name was found in various regions of Germany, including Saxony and Brandenburg. One prominent figure was Samuel BEHM (1638-1693), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor of law at the University of Leipzig.
In the 18th century, Johann Georg BEHM (1721-1803) was a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and made significant contributions to church music.
Throughout history, the surname BEHM has been associated with various professions, including merchants, scholars, artists, and craftsmen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Behm
Among Census respondents with the surname Behm, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Behm 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 Behm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 4,253
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 131
- Two or more races2.5% · 115
- Black or African American0.4% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Behm
Behm 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
#7,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,476
+101 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#7,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,549
+73 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Up 356 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,051 | 4,375 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,443 | 4,476 | 1.52 | +101 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #7,087 | 4,549 | 1.52 | +73 bearers (+1.6%) | Up 356 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 Behm 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 | #7,443 | #7,087 | 4.8% |
| Count | 4,476 | 4,549 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.52 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Behm bearers went from 4,476 to 4,549 (+1.6% change). The surname moved up 356 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,443 to #7,087.
FAQ
Behm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Behm?
Name Census estimates that about 5,216 living Americans carry the surname Behm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,712 residents.
How common is Behm?
Behm ranks #7,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,549 people with the surname Behm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Behm.
Has Behm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Behm went from 4,476 recorded bearers to 4,549. That is an increase of 73 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,443 to #7,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Behm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Behm, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Behm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (4,253 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Behm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Behm (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 Behm mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the German word "Böhm" or "Böhme," meaning a person from Bohemia. 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 Behm (1.52 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 surname Behm?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.