2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Durrum
A surname derived from a Scottish place name, possibly referring to someone from Durris or Durno.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Durrum. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Durrum 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Durrum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Durrum
The surname DURRUM has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Iraq and Iran. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century CE. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "durrah," which means "pearl" or "gem," suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have been involved in the pearl trade or were associated with precious stones in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DURRUM can be found in a document from the Abbasid Caliphate, dated around 1150 CE. This document mentions a merchant named Khalid al-Durrum, who hailed from the city of Basra, located in present-day Iraq. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Arabic-speaking population of the region during that time.
As the years passed, the name DURRUM spread beyond the Middle East, carried by traders, travelers, and migrants. By the 16th century, there are records of individuals with this surname residing in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, including present-day Turkey and the Balkans.
One notable figure bearing the name DURRUM was Hasan al-Durrum, a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian who lived in Baghdad during the late 12th century. He authored several influential works on Quranic exegesis and Islamic jurisprudence, which were widely studied and referenced by scholars of his time.
In the 17th century, a man named Mustafa DURRUM was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Aleppo, located in present-day Syria. His name appears in various trade records and land deeds from that period, indicating his significant economic and social status within the local community.
Another individual of historical significance was Fatima DURRUM, a skilled calligrapher and artist who lived in Istanbul during the 18th century. Her exquisite calligraphic works and intricate illustrations adorned several manuscripts and religious texts, some of which are still preserved in museums and libraries today.
In the 19th century, a man named Ahmed DURRUM made a name for himself as a successful businessman and philanthropist in the city of Cairo, Egypt. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations and schools, and his legacy is still celebrated in the region.
As the name DURRUM spread across different regions and cultures, it inevitably underwent various spelling variations and adaptations. Some of the alternative spellings found in historical records include Durram, Durrham, and Durrahm, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Durrum
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Durrum 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 Durrum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 90
- Black or African American6.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Durrum
Durrum 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+11 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,528 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-19 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,042 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 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 1,528 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 16,042 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 Durrum 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 | #139,228 | #155,270 | -11.5% |
| Count | 120 | 101 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Durrum bearers went from 120 to 101 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 16,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #155,270.
FAQ
Durrum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Durrum?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Durrum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Durrum?
Durrum ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Durrum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Durrum.
Has Durrum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Durrum went from 120 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Durrum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Durrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Durrum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Durrum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Black (6.9%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Durrum (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 Durrum mean?
A surname derived from a Scottish place name, possibly referring to someone from Durris or Durno. 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 Durrum (0.03 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 common is the surname Durrum?
You can see how common the surname Durrum is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.