2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Caum
A variant spelling of the English surname Comb, derived from the medieval occupation of a comb-maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Caum. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caum 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Caum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caum, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caum
The surname CAUM is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "caume," which referred to a small valley or a gentle slope. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived or worked in such geographical features.
The earliest known records of the surname CAUM date back to the 12th century, where it appears in various forms, such as Caume, Caumez, and Caumet, in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Languedoc region. These variations in spelling were common during that time, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname CAUM was Raoul de Caume, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the leadership of King Richard I of England. His name is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles and accounts of the crusade.
In the 13th century, the surname CAUM appears in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres, a collection of charters and documents related to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Chartres, France. This suggests that individuals with this surname were present in the region during that time.
During the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname CAUM was Jean Caume, a French architect and master mason who is credited with the construction of several churches and cathedrals in the Île-de-France region, including the Église Saint-Merry in Paris.
In the 15th century, the surname CAUM is found in the records of the Duchy of Burgundy, where a certain Guillaume Caume is mentioned as a merchant and landowner in the city of Dijon.
Another notable individual with the surname CAUM was Jacques Caume, a 16th-century French philosopher and humanist scholar who taught at the University of Paris and was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy.
Throughout history, variations of the surname CAUM have also been found in other regions, such as Spain (Caumó) and Italy (Caumini), suggesting that the name may have spread beyond its original French origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caum
Among Census respondents with the surname Caum, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Caum 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 Caum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 96
- Black or African American6.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caum
Caum 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-32 bearers (-23.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 38,280 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+11 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,739 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -32 bearers (-23.7%) | Down 38,280 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 10,739 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 Caum 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 | #157,234 | #146,495 | 6.8% |
| Count | 103 | 114 | 10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caum bearers went from 103 to 114 (+10.7% change). The surname moved up 10,739 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #146,495.
FAQ
Caum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caum?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Caum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Caum?
Caum ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Caum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Caum.
Has Caum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caum went from 103 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 11 (+10.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Caum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caum, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Caum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Black (6.1%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Caum (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 Caum mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Comb, derived from the medieval occupation of a comb-maker. 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 Caum (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 surname Caum?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.