2000
#13,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,062
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Farnum
Derived from an Old French place name meaning "the ash tree settlement" or "farm by the ferns."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,440 Americans carry the last name Farnum. That puts it at #13,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farnum 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
2.4K
1 in 140,473
Census rank
#13,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,128 bearers of the surname Farnum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farnum, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farnum
The surname Farnum has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "fearn" meaning fern, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a settlement or dwelling place situated near an area abundant with ferns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farnum can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This reference lends credence to the theory that the name has ancient Anglo-Saxon roots.
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Ferneham, Fernham, and Farneham. These variants reflect the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex, where many of the earliest recorded Farnums resided.
One notable figure bearing this surname was Sir John Farnum, a prominent landowner and knight who lived during the 14th century. He was a member of the retinue of Edward, the Black Prince, and fought alongside him in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War.
Another distinguished individual was Thomas Farnum (1540-1617), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from London. He made significant contributions to the rebuilding efforts of St. Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
In the 17th century, the name Farnum gained recognition through the works of the poet and playwright, Benjamin Farnum (1641-1718). His plays, such as "The Constant Couple" and "The Lucky Chance," were widely acclaimed in their time.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Ezekiel Farnum (1720-1789), a notable figure in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a colonel in the Continental Army and was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.
The 19th century saw the rise of John Villiers Farnum (1833-1907), a celebrated English architect known for his work on several iconic buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum in London.
Throughout its long history, the surname Farnum has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, merchants, artists, and professionals. While the exact origins of the name may be shrouded in the mists of time, its enduring presence across centuries is a testament to the rich tapestry of English heritage and ancestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farnum
Among Census respondents with the surname Farnum, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Farnum 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 Farnum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.6% · 1,736
- Black or African American7.1% · 151
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 100
- Two or more races4.6% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farnum
Farnum 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
#13,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,281
+219 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 153 places
2020
#13,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,128
-153 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 270 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,513 | 2,062 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,360 | 2,281 | 0.77 | +219 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 153 places |
| 2020 | #13,630 | 2,128 | 0.71 | -153 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 270 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 Farnum 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 | #13,360 | #13,630 | -2.0% |
| Count | 2,281 | 2,128 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.71 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farnum bearers went from 2,281 to 2,128 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 270 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,360 to #13,630.
FAQ
Farnum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farnum?
Name Census estimates that about 2,440 living Americans carry the surname Farnum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,473 residents.
How common is Farnum?
Farnum ranks #13,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,128 people with the surname Farnum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,440), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Farnum.
Has Farnum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farnum went from 2,281 recorded bearers to 2,128. That is a decrease of 153 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,360 to #13,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Farnum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farnum, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Farnum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.6% (1,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farnum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.6%), Black (7.1%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Farnum (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 Farnum mean?
Derived from an Old French place name meaning "the ash tree settlement" or "farm by the ferns." 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 Farnum (0.71 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 Farnum?
If you just want to know how common the surname Farnum is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.