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

Hannum, 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 Hannum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hannum in America

Hannum is the 13023rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hannum surname appeared 2,358 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hannum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hannum 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 Hannum

The surname HANNUM is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "han" meaning "rock" and "num" meaning "taken" or "seized". It likely refers to someone who lived near a rocky outcrop or cliff, or possibly a historical event where land was seized by force.

The earliest known recorded examples of the name date back to the 13th century in Somerset, England. A Walter de Hannum is mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for Somerset in 1285. The "de" prefix suggests the name may have originated as a place name referring to a specific location.

By the 14th century, spelling variations like Haneham and Haunham appear in tax rolls and parish records across southern England. The more modern spelling HANNUM emerges in the 16th century, with references to families of that name living in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Hannum, born around 1590 in Taunton, Somerset. He later emigrated to the American colonies in the 1630s, settling in Pennsylvania. His descendants went on to establish prominent families in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Other notable individuals with the surname include:

• Reverend John Hannum (1631-1701), an early Quaker minister and one of the founders of Pennsylvania.

• William Hannum (1766-1834), an American surveyor and engineer who helped plan the city of Washington D.C.

• Mary Hannum Bell (1859-1933), an American educator and pioneer in the teaching of deaf children.

• John W. Hannum (1898-1963), a U.S. Army general who commanded troops during World War II and the Korean War.

• Thomas L. Hannum (1921-2005), an American basketball coach who led teams to multiple NCAA championships.

While once quite common in parts of England and the eastern United States, the surname HANNUM has become relatively rare in modern times. However, it retains a rich historical legacy spanning over seven centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hannum

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!