2000
#13,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,005
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Hulme
An English locational surname derived from various places named Hulme, meaning "island" or "dry ground in a marsh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,337 Americans carry the last name Hulme. That puts it at #14,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hulme 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hulme with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,664
Census rank
#14,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,038 bearers of the surname Hulme in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulme, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hulme
The surname Hulme originated in England, specifically in the region of Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" and "holh" meaning "hill," combined with the suffix "-m" indicating a locational place name. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill with a hollow or valley.
The earliest recorded instance of the Hulme surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Holme" and "Hulme." This indicates that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Hulme, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The name was also associated with several place names in Lancashire, such as Hulme Walfield and Hulme Moss, further reinforcing its locational origins.
In the 14th century, the Hulme family held a prominent position in the area around Manchester, with records showing that they owned lands and properties in the region. A notable member of the family during this time was Adam de Hulme, who served as a bailiff in Manchester in the late 1300s.
The Hulme surname continued to be influential in Lancashire throughout the following centuries. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the village of Reddish, near Stockport, where they became prominent landowners and benefactors. One of the most notable figures from this line was William Hulme, who was born in 1631 and left a substantial bequest to establish the Hulme Trust and the Hulme Grammar School in Oldham.
Another significant individual with the Hulme surname was Nathaniel Hulme, born in 1701, who was a renowned physician and author. He wrote several notable works on medical topics, including a treatise on the smallpox epidemic of 1752.
In the 19th century, the Hulme name was associated with the industrialist and philanthropist William Hulme, born in 1788, who made his fortune in the cotton trade. He established the Hulme Trust in Manchester, which provided education and housing for the underprivileged members of the community.
Throughout its history, the Hulme surname has been widely distributed across various regions of England, with concentrations in Lancashire, Cheshire, and the surrounding areas. While the name has evolved in its spelling over the centuries, it has retained its strong connection to its locational origins and the rich heritage of the English families who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hulme
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulme, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hulme 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 Hulme surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,867
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 71
- Two or more races2.6% · 53
- Black or African American1.0% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hulme
Hulme 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
#14,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,068
+63 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 617 places
2020
#14,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
-30 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 302 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,830 | 2,005 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,447 | 2,068 | 0.70 | +63 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 617 places |
| 2020 | #14,145 | 2,038 | 0.68 | -30 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 302 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 Hulme 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 | #14,447 | #14,145 | 2.1% |
| Count | 2,068 | 2,038 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.68 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hulme bearers went from 2,068 to 2,038 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 302 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,447 to #14,145.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hulme
FAQ
Hulme surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hulme?
Name Census estimates that about 2,337 living Americans carry the surname Hulme. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,664 residents.
How common is Hulme?
Hulme ranks #14,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,038 people with the surname Hulme. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hulme.
Has Hulme become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hulme went from 2,068 recorded bearers to 2,038. That is a decrease of 30 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,447 to #14,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Hulme?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulme, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Hulme in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,867 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hulme appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Hulme (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 Hulme mean?
An English locational surname derived from various places named Hulme, meaning "island" or "dry ground in a marsh." 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 Hulme (0.68 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 common is the surname Hulme?
Find out how common the surname Hulme is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.