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

Dums, 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 Dums surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dums in America

Dums is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dums surname appeared 164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dums.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dums 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 Dums

The surname DUMS originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "dumb," which meant "dull" or "stupid." This term was often used as a nickname or descriptive surname for someone perceived as slow-witted or simple-minded.

In the medieval period, surnames were not fixed, and they often evolved from nicknames or occupations. The DUMS surname likely arose as a derogatory nickname for someone considered foolish or dim-witted by their contemporaries. It was not uncommon for such mocking surnames to be adopted and passed down through generations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DUMS surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the region of Saxony, Germany. In a charter dated 1187, a nobleman named Albertus Dums is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

Another early reference to the DUMS surname appears in the Annales Stadenses, a chronicle written by a monk named Albert of Stade in the late 12th century. This work mentions a knight named Rodulfus Dums who participated in a military campaign against the Wends, a Slavic people who inhabited parts of what is now eastern Germany.

In the 14th century, the DUMS surname began to spread beyond its original Germanic roots. Records from the Netherlands show a Willem Dums who served as a city councilor in Amsterdam in the year 1362.

One of the earliest known bearers of the DUMS surname was Johann Dums, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1492 in the city of Erfurt. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and a contemporary of Martin Luther.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the DUMS surname also appeared in England, likely brought over by German immigrants or merchants. One notable figure was Sir William Dums, an English merchant and explorer who led an expedition to the West Indies in 1585.

In the 18th century, a French nobleman named Henri Dums served as a military commander during the Wars of the Spanish Succession. He was born in 1672 and achieved the rank of Maréchal de France before his death in 1738.

As the DUMS surname spread across Europe, it inevitably underwent various spelling variations, including Dumms, Dummes, and Dummse, among others. However, the core meaning and origin remained rooted in the Old German word for "dull" or "stupid."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dums

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

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

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

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