2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Floom
A surname originating from a geographic place name or occupation related to a bloom furnace or metal working.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Floom. 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 Floom 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 Floom 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 Floom, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Floom
The surname Floom has its origins in the Old Saxon language, originating in the northern regions of what is now modern-day Germany, around the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Old Saxon word "fluma," which means "river" or "stream." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a significant waterway, perhaps even a ford or river crossing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Floom can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, the name appears as "Fluma," likely referring to an individual who resided near a river or stream.
In the 12th century, a notable figure by the name of Hereward Floom was recorded as a prominent landowner in the county of Lincolnshire, England. His family is believed to have originated from the northern German regions before settling in England during the Norman conquest.
During the 13th century, a Flemish scholar and monk named Gerardus Floom gained recognition for his extensive writings on theology and philosophy. Born in 1221 in the town of Ghent, his works were widely circulated throughout Europe during his lifetime.
In the late 15th century, a Dutch merchant named Hendrick Floom played a significant role in establishing trade routes between the Netherlands and the Baltic regions. His successful business ventures enabled him to acquire considerable wealth and influence.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Floom was Johann Floom, a German architect and master builder who lived in the 16th century. He was responsible for the design and construction of several prominent churches and civic buildings in the city of Cologne.
As the name Floom spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Floome, Floum, and Fluhm, often reflecting regional dialects and language influences. Place names like Floomstadt and Floomhausen also emerged, further solidifying the surname's presence in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Floom
Among Census respondents with the surname Floom, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Floom 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 Floom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Floom
Floom 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+15 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,492 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-21 bearers (-17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 5,492 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.2%) | Down 17,943 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 Floom 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 | #137,327 | #155,270 | -13.1% |
| Count | 122 | 101 | -17.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Floom bearers went from 122 to 101 (-17.2% change). The surname moved down 17,943 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #155,270.
FAQ
Floom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Floom?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Floom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Floom?
Floom 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 Floom. 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 Floom.
Has Floom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Floom went from 122 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Floom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Floom, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Floom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Floom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Floom (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 Floom mean?
A surname originating from a geographic place name or occupation related to a bloom furnace or metal working. 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 Floom (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 many people have the last name Floom?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Floom on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.