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

Illum, 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 Illum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Illum in America

Illum is the 89069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Illum surname appeared 208 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Illum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Illum 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 Illum

The surname Illum originates from the Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway and Denmark, and can be traced back to the Viking era. It is derived from the Old Norse word "illr," meaning "bad" or "evil," which was often used as a nickname or descriptive name for individuals who displayed negative or undesirable traits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Illum can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval literary works that recount the lives and adventures of Icelandic families and their ancestors. In the Egils Saga, written in the 13th century, there is a mention of a character named Illum the Ill-Tempered, who lived in the 10th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Illum appeared in various records and manuscripts across Scandinavia. In the Danish Census of 1787, there are several entries for families with the surname Illum, suggesting that the name had become more widespread by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Illum include Hans Illum (1639-1701), a Danish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of logarithms and trigonometry. Another prominent figure was Niels Illum (1804-1872), a Norwegian artist renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Norwegian countryside.

In the 19th century, the name Illum gained recognition through the work of Christian Illum (1821-1894), a Danish businessman who founded the renowned Illum department store in Copenhagen. This iconic retailer, which bears his surname, has become a landmark in the city and a testament to the enduring legacy of the Illum name.

Other notable individuals with the surname Illum include Knud Illum (1892-1977), a Danish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Copenhagen, and Inger Illum (1919-2006), a Norwegian author and journalist known for her works on women's rights and social issues.

While the surname Illum may have originated from a less favorable connotation, it has evolved over time to become a respected and distinguished name in Scandinavian society, with various individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in fields ranging from science and art to business and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Illum

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

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

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

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