2000
#14,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,842
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Drummer
An occupational surname referring to one who plays the drums or performs percussion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,295 Americans carry the last name Drummer. That puts it at #14,387 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drummer 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
2.3K
1 in 149,348
Census rank
#14,387
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,001 bearers of the surname Drummer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14387th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drummer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.9%. The next largest groups are White (33.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drummer
The surname DRUMMER is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "drummere" or the Middle English word "drummer", meaning a drummer or one who played the drum. The name likely referred to an individual who was a drummer, either for military purposes or for entertainment.
In medieval England, drummers played an essential role in military campaigns, signaling the movements of troops and providing rhythm for marching soldiers. They were also employed in towns and villages for ceremonial occasions and celebrations. The name DRUMMER may have been given to individuals who held these occupations, marking their profession.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name DRUMMER can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, which mentions a John le Drummer. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1389, where a William Drummer is listed.
The surname DRUMMER has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Drummers Farm in Kent and Drummers Hill in Hertfordshire. These place names may have derived from individuals with the surname DRUMMER who lived or owned land in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname DRUMMER throughout history include:
1. John Drummer (c. 1600-1663), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in the 17th century.
2. William Drummer (1675-1739), a British Royal Navy officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession and the War of the Quadruple Alliance.
3. Thomas Drummer (1758-1824), an American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
4. Mary Drummer (1852-1924), an American educator and philanthropist who founded the Drummer School for Girls in California.
5. James Drummer (1893-1975), a British trade unionist and political activist who played a significant role in the Labour movement in the early 20th century.
The name DRUMMER has a rich history, reflecting the occupational origins of many English surnames and the diverse roles played by drummers throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drummer
Among Census respondents with the surname Drummer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.9%. The next largest groups are White (33.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Drummer 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 Drummer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.9% · 1,178
- White33.3% · 667
- Two or more races4.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drummer
Drummer 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
#14,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,143
+301 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 733 places
2020
#14,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,001
-142 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,783 | 1,842 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,050 | 2,143 | 0.73 | +301 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 733 places |
| 2020 | #14,387 | 2,001 | 0.67 | -142 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 337 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 Drummer 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 | #14,050 | #14,387 | -2.4% |
| Count | 2,143 | 2,001 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.67 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drummer bearers went from 2,143 to 2,001 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 337 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,050 to #14,387.
FAQ
Drummer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drummer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,295 living Americans carry the surname Drummer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,348 residents.
How common is Drummer?
Drummer ranks #14,387 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,001 people with the surname Drummer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Drummer.
Has Drummer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drummer went from 2,143 recorded bearers to 2,001. That is a decrease of 142 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,050 to #14,387.
What does the Census say about the background of Drummer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drummer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.9%. The next largest groups are White (33.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Drummer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.9% (1,178 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drummer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.9%), White (33.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Drummer (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 Drummer mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who plays the drums or performs percussion. 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 Drummer (0.67 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 surname Drummer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.