2000
#7,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Drumm
A surname derived from the Scots Gaelic word "druim," meaning a ridge or rounded hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,379 Americans carry the last name Drumm. That puts it at #8,307 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,272 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drumm 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Drumm with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,272
Census rank
#8,307
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,819 bearers of the surname Drumm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8307th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drumm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drumm
The surname Drumm is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic word "druim" meaning "ridge" or "hill". It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in ancient Scottish charters and records. One notable example is John de Drumme, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1264.
The name is thought to have derived from various place names in Scotland that incorporated the word "druim" or its variants, such as Drummore, Drumoak, and Drumblade. These places were often situated on or near prominent ridges or hills, lending credence to the etymological origin of the name.
In the 14th century, the Drumm surname appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. This suggests that the name was firmly established among the Scottish gentry by this time.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir John Drummond, a prominent Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the early 14th century. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
Another historically significant figure was Robert Drummond (1551-1623), a Scottish philosopher and educator who served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Edinburgh. He wrote several influential works on logic and philosophy during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the Drumm surname was also associated with the Clan Drummond, a powerful Scottish clan with strong ties to the Scottish monarchy. The clan's ancestral seat was Stobhall Castle in Perthshire, and they played a significant role in Scottish history and conflicts.
Other notable individuals with the Drumm surname include Sir William Drummond (1770-1828), a British diplomat and ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and Robert Hay Drummond (1711-1776), a Scottish architect and priest who designed several churches and other buildings in Edinburgh.
The Drumm surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including scholars, soldiers, diplomats, and members of the nobility, reflecting its deep Scottish roots and the diverse contributions of its bearers to society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drumm
Among Census respondents with the surname Drumm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Drumm 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 Drumm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 3,498
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 149
- Two or more races2.8% · 107
- Black or African American0.9% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drumm
Drumm 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
#8,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,908
-13 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 627 places
2020
#8,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,819
-89 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,826 | 3,921 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,453 | 3,908 | 1.32 | -13 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 627 places |
| 2020 | #8,307 | 3,819 | 1.28 | -89 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 146 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 Drumm 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 | #8,453 | #8,307 | 1.7% |
| Count | 3,908 | 3,819 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.28 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drumm bearers went from 3,908 to 3,819 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,453 to #8,307.
FAQ
Drumm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drumm?
Name Census estimates that about 4,379 living Americans carry the surname Drumm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,272 residents.
How common is Drumm?
Drumm ranks #8,307 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 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 3,819 people with the surname Drumm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 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 Drumm.
Has Drumm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drumm went from 3,908 recorded bearers to 3,819. That is a decrease of 89 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,453 to #8,307.
What does the Census say about the background of Drumm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drumm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Drumm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (3,498 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drumm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Drumm (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 Drumm mean?
A surname derived from the Scots Gaelic word "druim," meaning a ridge or rounded hill. 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 Drumm (1.28 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 Drumm?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Drumm on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.