2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dalum
The Dutch surname meaning "from the valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Dalum. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dalum 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Dalum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dalum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dalum
The surname Dalum has its origins in the Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway and Denmark. It is believed to have emerged during the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century.
The name Dalum is thought to be derived from the Old Norse words "dalr" and "holmr," meaning "valley" and "small island" or "river holme," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived in a valley near a small island or a river holme.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dalum can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often mentioned people with the name Dalum, indicating its presence in the Scandinavian region during that time.
In Denmark, the name Dalum can be traced back to the 15th century. One notable bearer of the name was Hans Dalum, a Danish clergyman and writer who lived from 1484 to 1548. He is known for his works on theology and his contributions to the Protestant Reformation in Denmark.
Another significant figure with the surname Dalum was Jens Dalum, a Norwegian politician and jurist who lived from 1763 to 1832. He served as a member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Norwegian Constitution in 1814.
In Sweden, the name Dalum has been documented since the 17th century. One notable Swedish bearer of the name was Carl Gustaf Dalum, a military officer and politician who lived from 1708 to 1778. He played a role in the Swedish-Russian War of 1741-1743 and later served as a member of the Swedish parliament.
The surname Dalum is also found in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it may have been introduced by Scandinavian settlers or traders during the medieval period.
It is worth noting that the name Dalum has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Dalum, Dalom, Dahlum, and Daluhm, among others. These variations may reflect regional differences in pronunciation or spelling conventions.
Throughout history, the surname Dalum has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, politicians, military personnel, and artists. While not as widespread as some other surnames, it has left its mark on the cultural and historical landscapes of Scandinavia and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dalum
Among Census respondents with the surname Dalum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dalum 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 Dalum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dalum
Dalum 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,445 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 5,445 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,464 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 Dalum 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 | #146,201 | #148,665 | -1.7% |
| Count | 113 | 111 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dalum bearers went from 113 to 111 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #148,665.
FAQ
Dalum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dalum?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Dalum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Dalum?
Dalum ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Dalum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Dalum.
Has Dalum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dalum went from 113 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Dalum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dalum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Dalum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dalum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (9.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Dalum (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 Dalum mean?
The Dutch surname meaning "from the valley". 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 Dalum (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 Dalum?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Dalum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.