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

Drum, 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 Drum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drum in America

Drum is the 7459th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drum surname appeared 4,468 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Drum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drum 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 Drum

The surname DRUM has its origins in the British Isles, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "drom," which means a ridge or a drumlin, referring to a distinctive landform.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DRUM can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1197, where it was spelled as "de Dromundeby." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name, possibly related to Drummond Hill or Drummond Castle in Scotland.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it was listed as "Drum" and "Drom." This indicates that the name had become more established in Scotland during this period.

The DRUM surname is also associated with the Clan Drummond, a prominent Scottish clan with a rich history dating back to the 12th century. The Clan Drummond is said to have descended from Maurice, a Hungarian nobleman who settled in Scotland during the reign of King David I.

One notable figure bearing the DRUM surname was John Drum (c. 1679-1737), a Scottish-born merchant and politician in colonial America. He served as the Mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, and was a member of the Maryland General Assembly.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Drummond (1797-1840), a British civil engineer and statesman. He played a significant role in the construction of the Drummond Light, an early form of limelight used in lighthouses and theaters.

In England, the DRUM surname can be traced back to the 15th century. Robert Drum (c. 1460-1536) was an English theologian and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

The name also appeared in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was spelled "Drom," and the Hearth Tax Records of Yorkshire in 1673, where it appeared as "Drum."

William Drummond (1585-1649), a Scottish poet and writer, was another notable figure with the DRUM surname. He was a member of the Clan Drummond and is known for his poetry collections, including "Poems, Amorous, Funerall, Divine, Pastorall."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drum

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

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

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

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