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

Hume, 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 Hume surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hume in America

Hume is the 5301st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hume surname appeared 6,573 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hume.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hume 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 Hume

The surname Hume is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Old English word 'hoh', meaning a hill or ridge. It is believed to have originated in the town of Hume, located in the Scottish Borders region, which dates back to the 12th century.

The name Hume is first recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of parchment rolls that documented the sworn allegiance of Scotland's nobles and gentry to Edward I of England following his invasion of Scotland. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Hume, who was a prominent figure in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English in the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Hume family rose to prominence as one of the most powerful families in the Scottish Borders region. They were known for their involvement in the frequent border skirmishes and raids between Scotland and England. One notable member of the family was Alexander Hume, who was appointed as the Lord Warden of the Scottish East Marches in 1513.

The Hume surname has also been associated with several notable historical figures. One of the most famous bearers of the name was David Hume (1711-1776), the Scottish philosopher, historian, and essayist, who is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment. Another prominent figure was Joseph Hume (1777-1855), a British politician and radical reformer who campaigned for various causes, including the abolition of slavery and the reform of Parliament.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hume include:

1. Tobias Hume (1569-1645), an English soldier, composer, and writer on military tactics.
2. Alexander Hume-Campbell (1812-1892), a Scottish philosopher and theologian.
3. Basil Hume (1923-1999), a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of Westminster from 1976 to 1999.
4. Iain Hume (born 1984), a Canadian professional soccer player.
5. David Hume (1756-1838), a Scottish philosopher and nephew of the more famous David Hume.

The surname Hume has also been associated with various place names, such as Humewood, Humehaugh, and Hume Castle, all of which are located in the Scottish Borders region. The name has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Hume, Hom, Home, and Howme.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hume

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

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

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

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