2000
#8,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,584
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Corum
Derived from the Latin word "corus," meaning "chorus," possibly denoting an ancestor who was a chorister or choir member.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,900 Americans carry the last name Corum. That puts it at #9,210 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,886 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corum 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
3.9K
1 in 87,886
Census rank
#9,210
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,401 bearers of the surname Corum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9210th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corum, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corum
The surname Corum is believed to have its origins in the Scottish Highlands, specifically in the region of Argyll and the Isle of Mull. It is thought to derive from the Gaelic word "coradh," which means "bend" or "turn," possibly referring to a geographic feature or a location where the name originated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Corum can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In this record, the name appears as "Corum de Argyll."
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Corum family played a significant role in the history of the Scottish clans. Records indicate that a John Corum was a prominent figure in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594, where he fought alongside the Earl of Argyll against the forces of King James VI.
In the 18th century, the name Corum appeared in various historical records, including parish registers and land deeds. One notable individual was Angus Corum (1712-1785), a Scottish Highlander who was a renowned fighter and warrior during the Jacobite Risings.
The Corum surname also has a connection to the Isle of Mull, where the village of Corum is located. This place name is believed to have derived from the same Gaelic root as the surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname Corum include:
1. Archibald Corum (1760-1842), a Scottish merchant and landowner who became a prominent figure in the city of Glasgow.
2. Elizabeth Corum (1820-1891), a Scottish writer and poet who published several collections of poetry inspired by the landscapes of the Highlands.
3. Duncan Corum (1865-1942), a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the Second Boer War and later settled in South Africa.
4. Mary Corum (1892-1972), an American educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and racial equality in the United States.
5. James Corum (1933-2018), a British military historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of warfare and military strategy.
While the Corum surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other regions where Scottish immigrants settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corum
Among Census respondents with the surname Corum, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Corum 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 Corum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 2,832
- Black or African American8.0% · 271
- Two or more races4.8% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corum
Corum 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
#8,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,679
+95 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#9,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,401
-278 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,470 | 3,584 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,900 | 3,679 | 1.25 | +95 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #9,210 | 3,401 | 1.14 | -278 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 310 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 Corum 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 | #8,900 | #9,210 | -3.5% |
| Count | 3,679 | 3,401 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.14 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corum bearers went from 3,679 to 3,401 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 310 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,900 to #9,210.
FAQ
Corum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corum?
Name Census estimates that about 3,900 living Americans carry the surname Corum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,886 residents.
How common is Corum?
Corum ranks #9,210 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,401 people with the surname Corum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,900), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Corum.
Has Corum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corum went from 3,679 recorded bearers to 3,401. That is a decrease of 278 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,900 to #9,210.
What does the Census say about the background of Corum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corum, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Corum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (2,832 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Corum (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 Corum mean?
Derived from the Latin word "corus," meaning "chorus," possibly denoting an ancestor who was a chorister or choir member. 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 Corum (1.14 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 Americans have the surname Corum?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.