2000
#37,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 558
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Holum
A locational surname originating from a place name in Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 563 Americans carry the last name Holum. That puts it at #46,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 608,800 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holum 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
563
1 in 608,800
Census rank
#46,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
491
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 491 bearers of the surname Holum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holum
The surname HOLUM originates from Norway and dates back to the Viking Age between the 8th and 11th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "holmr," which means a small island or a piece of dry land surrounded by marshes or streams. This suggests that the name was initially given to people who lived on such islands or dry land areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HOLUM can be found in the Gulating Law, a medieval Norwegian law code from the 13th century. The law mentions a person named Erling Holum, who was involved in a land dispute. This indicates that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 14th century, a Norwegian nobleman named Sigurd Holum was mentioned in the Icelandic Annals. He was a prominent figure in the region and held significant influence.
During the 15th century, a man named Arne Holum was recorded as a landowner in the Hardanger region of Norway. His name appeared in several land deeds and legal documents from that era.
In the 16th century, a Swedish soldier named Erik Holum fought in the Kalmar War between Sweden and Denmark. He was noted for his bravery and military exploits during this conflict.
In the 17th century, a Norwegian poet and playwright named Peder Holum gained recognition for his works, which often explored themes of love and nature. He was born in 1612 and died in 1689.
Throughout history, the name HOLUM has also been associated with various place names in Norway, such as Holum Farm in Trondheim and Holum Village in Møre og Romsdal. These place names likely derived from the same Old Norse word and may have influenced the surname's origin and spread.
While the surname HOLUM is not as common as some other Norwegian surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to the Viking Age, when it was likely given to individuals living on small islands or dry land areas in Norway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holum
Among Census respondents with the surname Holum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Holum 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 Holum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 450
- Two or more races4.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holum
Holum 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
#40,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 539
-19 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 3,020 places
2020
#46,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 491
-48 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 6,158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,534 | 558 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,554 | 539 | 0.18 | -19 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 3,020 places |
| 2020 | #46,712 | 491 | 0.16 | -48 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 6,158 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 Holum 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 | #40,554 | #46,712 | -15.2% |
| Count | 539 | 491 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.16 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holum bearers went from 539 to 491 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 6,158 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,554 to #46,712.
FAQ
Holum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holum?
Name Census estimates that about 563 living Americans carry the surname Holum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 608,800 residents.
How common is Holum?
Holum ranks #46,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 491 people with the surname Holum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (563), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Holum.
Has Holum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holum went from 539 recorded bearers to 491. That is a decrease of 48 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #40,554 to #46,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Holum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Holum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Holum (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 Holum mean?
A locational surname originating from a place name in Norway. 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 Holum (0.16 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 Holum?
You can see how common the surname Holum is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.