2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bushbaum
A surname derived from the German words "busch" (bush) and "baum" (tree), likely referring to someone living near a prominent bush or wooded area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Bushbaum. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bushbaum 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Bushbaum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bushbaum, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bushbaum
The surname Bushbaum is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of central Europe, likely in the late medieval or early modern period. It is a compound surname derived from the German words "Busch" meaning bush or shrub, and "Baum" meaning tree. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with bushes or trees, possibly a forester, woodsman, or someone who lived in a heavily wooded area.
Records from the 16th and 17th centuries show variations in the spelling, such as Buschbaum, Buschebaum, and Buschebaum. These early spellings provide insights into the name's evolution and regional dialects. The earliest known record of the name appears in a document from the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, dated 1532, which mentions a person named Hans Bushbaum.
In the 18th century, the name Bushbaum gained recognition through the work of Johann Christoph Bushbaum, a notable German botanist and naturalist born in 1713 in Nuremberg. His contributions to the study of plants and their classification brought the name to prominence within academic circles.
Another historical figure of note was Friedrich Wilhelm Bushbaum (1788-1868), a German philosopher and writer who authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy. His ideas and writings influenced intellectual discourse during the 19th century.
The name Bushbaum has also been associated with various place names throughout German-speaking regions. For instance, the town of Buschbaum in Lower Saxony, Germany, likely derives its name from the same linguistic roots as the surname.
During the 19th century, the Bushbaum family's influence extended beyond Germany. August Bushbaum (1821-1893), a German immigrant to the United States, became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Philadelphia, contributing significantly to the city's cultural and educational institutions.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Katherina Bushbaum (1856-1932), a German-American painter and artist known for her landscapes and portraits. Her works were exhibited in several galleries across the United States and Europe, garnering critical acclaim during her lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bushbaum
Among Census respondents with the surname Bushbaum, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bushbaum 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 Bushbaum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bushbaum
Bushbaum 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-11 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,550 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+8 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,559 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 19,550 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.2%) | Up 5,559 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 Bushbaum 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 | #148,347 | #142,788 | 3.7% |
| Count | 111 | 119 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bushbaum bearers went from 111 to 119 (+7.2% change). The surname moved up 5,559 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #142,788.
FAQ
Bushbaum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bushbaum?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Bushbaum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Bushbaum?
Bushbaum ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Bushbaum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Bushbaum.
Has Bushbaum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bushbaum went from 111 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 8 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Bushbaum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bushbaum, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) 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 Bushbaum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bushbaum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (2.5%), 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 Bushbaum (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 Bushbaum mean?
A surname derived from the German words "busch" (bush) and "baum" (tree), likely referring to someone living near a prominent bush or wooded area. 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 Bushbaum (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 Bushbaum?
Find out how many people have the last name Bushbaum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.