Find out how popular the last name Buffum is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Buffum.

Buffum, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Buffum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Buffum in America

Buffum is the 23515th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Buffum surname appeared 1,080 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Buffum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Buffum to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Buffum

The surname Buffum is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bufor" and "ham," meaning "buffalo" and "homestead" or "settlement," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or owned land where buffalo roamed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Buffum surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Bufham" and "Buffeham," indicating its evolution over time.

During the 13th century, records show that a family by the name of Buffum resided in the county of Oxfordshire. One notable member, William Buffum, born in 1246, was a landowner and served as a local magistrate. His son, John Buffum (1274-1331), was a respected scholar and taught at the University of Oxford.

In the 16th century, the Buffum family had spread to other parts of England, including the counties of Somerset and Devon. Richard Buffum (1521-1589), a merchant from Somerset, gained prominence for his involvement in the wool trade and his support of the Protestant Reformation.

Another individual of note was Sir Thomas Buffum (1632-1702), a military officer who fought in the English Civil War and later served as a member of Parliament. He was knighted for his service to the Crown in 1670.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Buffums immigrated to the American colonies, particularly to New England. One of the earliest recorded settlers was John Buffum (1609-1675), who arrived in Rhode Island in 1638 and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the colony.

Throughout history, the Buffum surname has been associated with various professions, including law, academia, and politics. For example, Arnold Buffum (1782-1859) was a successful lawyer and judge in Rhode Island, while Edmund Buffum (1855-1931) served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Buffum

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Buffum.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Buffum was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Buffum has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Buffum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Buffum, please contact us.

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