2000
#12,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Bohm
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the place name Bohemia, referring to an inhabitant of Bohemia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,768 Americans carry the last name Bohm. That puts it at #12,301 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,827 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bohm 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bohm with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,827
Census rank
#12,301
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,414 bearers of the surname Bohm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12301st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bohm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bohm
The surname Bohm is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "boum" or "böum," which means tree or wood. This name first appeared around the 12th century in various regions of present-day Germany.
The earliest recorded examples of the Bohm surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in medieval German documents and records. Some of the earliest known bearers of this name were from towns and villages in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Bohm was Johannes Bohm, a German philosopher and theologian born in Nuremberg around 1360. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and ethics, and his works were widely studied in universities across Europe.
During the 15th century, the Bohm surname was also found in various parts of Austria and Switzerland, possibly due to migration or trade routes. One significant bearer of this name was Hans Bohm, a renowned German painter and engraver born in Ulm around 1470.
In the 16th century, the name Bohm appeared in several historical documents, including records of the Protestant Reformation. One notable figure was Martin Bohm, a German theologian and reformer born in Hesse around 1520, who played a significant role in the spread of Lutheran teachings in central Germany.
Another prominent individual with the Bohm surname was Jakob Bohme, a German Christian mystic and philosopher born in Alt Seidenberg, Silesia (now part of Poland) in 1575. He is renowned for his influential writings on mysticism, which had a profound impact on later philosophical and religious movements.
The 17th century saw the rise of Johann Bohm, a German composer and organist born in Thuringia around 1595. He is considered one of the most important composers of the early Baroque period and made significant contributions to the development of instrumental music.
Throughout the centuries, the Bohm surname has been found in various regions of Germany, as well as in areas with German-speaking populations, such as parts of Switzerland, Austria, and Poland. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the Middle High German word "boum" or "böum," reflecting its connection to trees or wooded areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bohm
Among Census respondents with the surname Bohm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bohm 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 Bohm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 2,216
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 100
- Two or more races2.4% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.6% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bohm
Bohm 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
#12,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,426
+100 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 458 places
2020
#12,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,414
-12 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,266 | 2,326 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,724 | 2,426 | 0.82 | +100 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 458 places |
| 2020 | #12,301 | 2,414 | 0.81 | -12 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 423 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 Bohm 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 | #12,724 | #12,301 | 3.3% |
| Count | 2,426 | 2,414 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.81 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bohm bearers went from 2,426 to 2,414 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 423 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,724 to #12,301.
FAQ
Bohm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bohm?
Name Census estimates that about 2,768 living Americans carry the surname Bohm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,827 residents.
How common is Bohm?
Bohm ranks #12,301 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,414 people with the surname Bohm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,768), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bohm.
Has Bohm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bohm went from 2,426 recorded bearers to 2,414. That is a decrease of 12 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,724 to #12,301.
What does the Census say about the background of Bohm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bohm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Bohm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (2,216 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bohm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Bohm (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 Bohm mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the place name Bohemia, referring to an inhabitant of 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 Bohm (0.81 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 Bohm?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.