2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bucknum
Of English origin, referring to a dweller near an oak tree or grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bucknum. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bucknum 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bucknum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bucknum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bucknum
The surname Bucknum has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'bucca' and 'ham', which translate to 'buck' and 'home' or 'settlement', respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place where deer or bucks were found in abundance.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded a person named Walter de Bucknum residing in Berkshire. Another early record is from the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, mentioning a John Bucknum.
The name's connection to specific locations is further supported by the existence of various place names with similar spellings, such as Buckingham in Buckinghamshire and Bucknall in Staffordshire. These place names likely share the same etymological roots as the surname Bucknum.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Bucknum surname. One of the earliest recorded was John Bucknum (c. 1490 - 1556), who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Bucknum (1592 - 1661), a wealthy merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.
In the 18th century, Thomas Bucknum (1726 - 1802) was a respected physician and naturalist who contributed to the study of botany and medicine in colonial America.
During the American Revolutionary War, Captain Josiah Bucknum (1745 - 1811) served in the Continental Army and fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.
More recently, James Bucknum (1905 - 1992) was an acclaimed American artist known for his landscape paintings and his work as an art educator at the University of California, Berkeley.
While the Bucknum surname may not be as widespread as some other English names, its long and varied history, spanning multiple centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, showcases the rich tapestry of stories and legacies associated with this distinctive name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bucknum
Among Census respondents with the surname Bucknum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bucknum 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 Bucknum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bucknum
Bucknum 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-13 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,360 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-13 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 19,360 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 11,849 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 Bucknum 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 | #141,140 | #152,989 | -8.4% |
| Count | 118 | 105 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bucknum bearers went from 118 to 105 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 11,849 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bucknum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bucknum?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bucknum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bucknum?
Bucknum ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Bucknum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Bucknum.
Has Bucknum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bucknum went from 118 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bucknum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bucknum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (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 Bucknum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bucknum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (5.7%), Black (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 Bucknum (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 Bucknum mean?
Of English origin, referring to a dweller near an oak tree or grove. 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 Bucknum (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 common is the surname Bucknum?
Find out how many people are called Bucknum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.