2000
#3,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,229
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Ketchum
An English occupational surname for a maker of sauces or relishes, derived from the Middle English word "cac(c)hen."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,080 Americans carry the last name Ketchum. That puts it at #4,331 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ketchum 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
9.1K
1 in 37,748
Census rank
#4,331
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,918 bearers of the surname Ketchum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4331st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketchum, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ketchum
The surname Ketchum has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "cæcc" meaning a catch or enclosure, and "ham" meaning a village or homestead. It likely originated as a place name referring to a village or settlement near an enclosure or pen used for livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1176, which mention a William de Cacheham. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also contains references to several places with similar names, such as Cacheham and Cacham.
By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling of Ketchum. In 1273, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire recorded a Roger de Kecham. Around the same time, the Testa de Nevill, an important legal record from 1219-1258, mentioned a John de Kecham.
Notable individuals with the surname Ketchum include William Ketchum (1550-1618), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theology and church history. John Ketchum (1782-1865) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.
Another prominent figure was Silas Ketchum (1835-1899), an American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the lumber and mining industries. He was instrumental in the development of the city of San Diego, California, and donated land for the establishment of Ketchum Prairie, a residential neighborhood in the city.
In the literary world, Annie Trumbull Slosson (1838-1926), an American author and poet, was born Annie Trumbull Ketchum. She wrote several acclaimed works, including the novel "The Heresy of Mehetabel Clark" and the poetry collection "Dumb Foxglove and Other Stories."
Emily Ketcham (1838-1909) was a notable American educator and writer. She authored several textbooks on English grammar and composition, which were widely used in schools across the United States in the late 19th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Ketchum has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, as well as in the United States, where it was carried by English immigrants. While its origins can be traced back to a specific location in England, the name has since spread and evolved, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ketchum
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketchum, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ketchum 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 Ketchum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 6,723
- Two or more races4.7% · 372
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 292
- Black or African American3.3% · 264
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 211
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ketchum
Ketchum 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
#4,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,407
+178 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Down 253 places
2020
#4,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,918
-489 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.65
Rank movement Down 118 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,960 | 8,229 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,213 | 8,407 | 2.85 | +178 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 253 places |
| 2020 | #4,331 | 7,918 | 2.65 | -489 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 118 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 Ketchum 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 | #4,213 | #4,331 | -2.8% |
| Count | 8,407 | 7,918 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.85 | 2.65 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ketchum bearers went from 8,407 to 7,918 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 118 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,213 to #4,331.
FAQ
Ketchum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ketchum?
Name Census estimates that about 9,080 living Americans carry the surname Ketchum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,748 residents.
How common is Ketchum?
Ketchum ranks #4,331 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,918 people with the surname Ketchum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,080), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ketchum.
Has Ketchum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ketchum went from 8,407 recorded bearers to 7,918. That is a decrease of 489 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,213 to #4,331.
What does the Census say about the background of Ketchum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketchum, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Ketchum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (6,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ketchum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Ketchum (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 Ketchum mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker of sauces or relishes, derived from the Middle English word "cac(c)hen." 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 Ketchum (2.65 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 Ketchum?
You can see how many people have the surname Ketchum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.