2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gladem
A variation of the Germanic surname Gladheim, meaning "bright home" or "bright homestead."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Gladem. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gladem 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Gladem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gladem, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gladem
The surname Gladem originated in the northern regions of England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "glæd," meaning "bright" or "shining," combined with the suffix "-em," which denoted a location or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a place known for its radiant or sunny disposition.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gladem surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1274, a William de Gladem was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Nottinghamshire, an ancient census record. Another early reference appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a Robert Gladem was listed as a landowner.
During the 14th century, the Gladem name gained prominence in the northern counties of England. In 1327, a John Gladem was recorded as a freeman of the city of York, indicating his status as a respected citizen. Additionally, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1381, with a Thomas Gladem listed as a taxpayer.
One notable bearer of the Gladem surname was Sir Robert Gladem, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He fought in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later granted lands in Northumberland for his valor on the battlefield. Sir Robert's descendants continued to hold these lands until the 16th century.
Another historically significant figure was Alice Gladem, born in 1492 in Yorkshire. She was a renowned herbalist and midwife, widely respected for her knowledge of medicinal plants and her expertise in assisting with childbirth. Alice's contributions to the field of traditional medicine were documented in a manuscript dating back to the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Gladem name found its way into the literary world through the works of the poet and dramatist Edward Gladem. Born in 1612 in Lancashire, he was known for his lyrical compositions and plays that explored themes of love and courtly life. His most famous work, "The Lover's Lament," was published in 1645 and received critical acclaim.
As the centuries progressed, the Gladem surname continued to be found across various regions of northern England, with some variations in spelling, such as Gladham and Gladeham. These variations likely emerged due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the influence of local dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gladem
Among Census respondents with the surname Gladem, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gladem 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 Gladem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino10.7% · 11
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gladem
Gladem appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,862 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 Gladem 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 | #156,044 | #154,182 | 1.2% |
| Count | 104 | 103 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gladem bearers went from 104 to 103 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,182.
FAQ
Gladem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gladem?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Gladem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Gladem?
Gladem ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Gladem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Gladem.
Has Gladem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gladem went from 104 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Gladem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gladem, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Gladem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gladem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (10.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Gladem (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 Gladem mean?
A variation of the Germanic surname Gladheim, meaning "bright home" or "bright homestead." 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 Gladem (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 surname Gladem?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.