2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Calmus
A latinized surname derived from the term "calamus" meaning reed or reed pen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Calmus. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Calmus 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Calmus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Calmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Calmus
The surname Calmus is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kalm," which means "calm" or "tranquil." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone with a calm or peaceful demeanor.
In the early medieval period, the name Calmus was primarily found in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in a manuscript from the town of Augsburg, referencing a certain "Heinricus Calmus."
During the 15th century, the name Calmus began to appear in various town and village records across central and southern Germany. For example, in 1487, a record from the village of Wolfenbüttel mentions a "Hans Calmus," who was a local landowner.
The surname Calmus is not found in the Domesday Book, as this historical record primarily covers England and parts of Wales. However, there are several instances of the name in other medieval European records and manuscripts.
One notable figure bearing the name Calmus was Johannes Calmus, a German theologian and author who lived from 1524 to 1582. He was known for his writings on religious topics and his involvement in the Reformation movement.
Another prominent individual with the surname Calmus was Carl Calmus, a German composer and conductor who lived from 1832 to 1906. He is best known for his choral works and compositions for church music.
In the 19th century, the name Calmus could also be found in various parts of Central Europe, including regions of modern-day Poland and Austria. For instance, a Polish artist named Stanisław Calmus (1825-1886) gained recognition for his landscape paintings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States dates back to the late 18th century, when a German immigrant named Johann Calmus settled in Pennsylvania. His descendants later spread to other parts of the country.
Other notable individuals with the surname Calmus include Ernst Calmus (1892-1963), a German writer and journalist, and Alfred Calmus (1895-1944), a German resistance fighter who opposed the Nazi regime during World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Calmus
Among Census respondents with the surname Calmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Calmus 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 Calmus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 103
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Calmus
Calmus 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,981 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 11,981 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 5,815 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 Calmus 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 | #153,769 | #147,954 | 3.8% |
| Count | 106 | 112 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Calmus bearers went from 106 to 112 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 5,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,954.
FAQ
Calmus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Calmus?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Calmus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Calmus?
Calmus ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Calmus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Calmus.
Has Calmus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Calmus went from 106 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Calmus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Calmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.7%). 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 Calmus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Calmus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (2.7%). 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 Calmus (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 Calmus mean?
A latinized surname derived from the term "calamus" meaning reed or reed pen. 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 Calmus (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 Calmus?
Find out how many people have the last name Calmus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.