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

Chum, 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 Chum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chum in America

Chum is the 24685th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chum surname appeared 1,011 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 Chum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chum 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 Chum

The surname "Chum" has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "cumb," which referred to a low-lying valley or a hollow among hills. This word was likely derived from the Celtic term "cumba," meaning a valley or a hollow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1195, where a person named Willelmus de Chumbe is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name, perhaps referring to someone who lived near a valley or a hollow.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Chumbe," "Chombe," and "Chumb." These variations likely resulted from differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname "Chum." However, it does mention several place names that may be related, such as "Combe" and "Cumbe."

Notable individuals who bore the surname "Chum" throughout history include:

1. John Chum (c. 1450 - 1520), an English merchant and alderman of the City of London.
2. William Chum (c. 1580 - 1647), an English clergyman and author of religious works.
3. Thomas Chum (1654 - 1724), an English mathematician and astronomer, best known for his work on the calculation of eclipses.
4. Elizabeth Chum (1708 - 1786), an English philanthropist and founder of the Chum Charity School in Bristol.
5. Richard Chum (1790 - 1865), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent landowner in Devon.

The name "Chum" has also been associated with various place names, such as Chumleigh in Devon and Chumbley in Cheshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English word "cumb" or its variants, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographical roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chum

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

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 Chum 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 Chum 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 Chum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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