2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bormuth
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning 'by the spring'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bormuth. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bormuth 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bormuth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bormuth, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bormuth
The surname Bormuth originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances appearing in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "born" meaning "well" or "spring" and "mut" meaning "courage" or "bravery." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with a courageous or valiant character who lived near a well or spring.
Historical records indicate that the name Bormuth first appeared in the region of Bavaria, particularly in the town of Amberg. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Amberg town archives, which mention a Andreas Bormuth who was a local landowner in 1598.
During the 17th century, the Bormuth name spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing families bearing the name in cities such as Leipzig and Erfurt. In 1673, a Johann Bormuth, a prominent merchant from Leipzig, was granted a coat of arms by the Holy Roman Emperor, solidifying the family's status among the German nobility.
As the name continued to disperse throughout the German states, variations in spelling began to emerge, with forms such as Bormuth, Bormüth, and Bormuht appearing in different regions. One notable individual from this period was Gottfried Bormuth, a renowned scholar and theologian born in Erfurt in 1685, who published several influential works on religious philosophy.
The 18th century saw the Bormuth name spread beyond Germany's borders, with records of individuals bearing the name appearing in neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. One notable figure was Karl Bormuth, a Swiss military officer born in 1745, who served in the Swiss Guard and played a role in the French Revolution.
As the 19th century dawned, the Bormuth name continued to disperse, with families bearing the name found in various parts of Europe and even in the Americas. One notable individual from this period was Wilhelm Bormuth, a German-born artist and engraver who lived in London from 1820 to 1878 and produced several highly regarded works of art.
Throughout its history, the Bormuth name has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, merchants, and military figures. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has since become a part of the rich tapestry of European surnames, with its roots firmly planted in the cultural heritage of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bormuth
Among Census respondents with the surname Bormuth, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bormuth 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 Bormuth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bormuth
Bormuth 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+7 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,587 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-20 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,729 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 2,587 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 18,729 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 Bormuth 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 | #132,206 | #150,935 | -14.2% |
| Count | 128 | 108 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bormuth bearers went from 128 to 108 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 18,729 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bormuth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bormuth?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bormuth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bormuth?
Bormuth ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Bormuth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bormuth.
Has Bormuth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bormuth went from 128 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bormuth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bormuth, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Bormuth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bormuth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Bormuth (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 Bormuth mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning 'by the spring'. 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 Bormuth (0.04 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 Bormuth?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Bormuth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.