2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hollums
An English topographic surname referring to someone living near a small hollow or dell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Hollums. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hollums 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Hollums in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hollums, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hollums
The surname HOLLUMS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning hollow or hole, and "um" which was a common place name suffix. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a hollow or depression in the landscape.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Holum". This entry refers to a location in Lincolnshire, indicating that the name was already established as a place name by the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval records as "Holum", "Hollum", and "Hollums". These variations in spelling were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Hollums, born in 1492, who served as a knight during the reign of King Henry VIII. He was involved in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace, a popular uprising against the religious reforms of the Tudor period.
Another historical figure with the surname HOLLUMS was William Hollums, born in 1614. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the county of Norfolk, and his name appears in several land records and tax rolls from the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name was associated with the village of Hollums in Staffordshire, which was likely named after an early bearer of the surname. The village is mentioned in various historical documents, including parish records and local histories.
One notable example from this period is Thomas Hollums, born in 1737, who was a renowned clockmaker and inventor. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and are now considered valuable antiques.
Another individual of note was Mary Hollums, born in 1789, who was a respected author and poet. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and rural life, were popular in the early 19th century.
Throughout its history, the surname HOLLUMS has been associated with various professions and social classes, from knights and merchants to artisans and authors. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and descendants of the original bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hollums
Among Census respondents with the surname Hollums, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hollums 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 Hollums surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 101
- Two or more races8.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hollums
Hollums 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,522 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,522 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Hollums 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hollums bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Hollums surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hollums?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Hollums. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Hollums?
Hollums ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Hollums. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hollums.
Has Hollums become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hollums went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Hollums?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hollums, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Hollums in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hollums appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Two or More Races (8.5%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Hollums (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 Hollums mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone living near a small hollow or dell. 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 Hollums (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Hollums?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.