2000
#2,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,851
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.39
Uncommon Last name
Landrum
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a ridge or long hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,217 Americans carry the last name Landrum. That puts it at #3,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Landrum 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
13K
1 in 25,933
Census rank
#3,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,526 bearers of the surname Landrum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Landrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Landrum
The surname Landrum has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "land" and "rum," which together translate to "land clearing." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers were likely associated with clearing land for agricultural or settlement purposes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Landrum name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, a collection of financial records from the late 12th century. Here, the name appears as "Landrym," an early variation of the spelling. This particular record documents a landholder by that name in the year 1176.
Another notable historical reference to the Landrum name is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a collection of legal documents dating back to the 13th century. In these records, the name is spelled "Landrym" and is associated with a landowner in the county of Essex in the year 1284.
As the centuries progressed, the Landrum name continued to appear in various records across different regions of England. For instance, in the 16th century, there are records of a Richard Landrum residing in the parish of Harrow on the Hill in Middlesex.
One of the earliest known Landrums of note was Sir Thomas Landrum (1550-1628), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. He was born in London and made a significant fortune through his trade ventures, eventually becoming a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community.
Another notable figure was John Landrum (1640-1712), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1704 until his death. He was a respected scholar and author of several theological works during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the Landrum name gained recognition through the life of William Landrum (1725-1798), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He rose to the rank of Captain and was commended for his bravery and leadership in several notable battles.
Moving into the 19th century, the Landrum name continued to be associated with prominent individuals, such as Sir George Landrum (1815-1887), a British politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and held the position of Solicitor General for England and Wales.
Throughout its history, the Landrum surname has also been closely tied to various place names in England, particularly in the counties of Wiltshire, Essex, and Middlesex, where the earliest records of the name can be found. These place names, often derived from the Old English words "land" and "rum," further reinforce the connection between the surname and its original meaning related to land clearing and settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Landrum
Among Census respondents with the surname Landrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Landrum 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 Landrum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.6% · 8,023
- Black or African American20.5% · 2,362
- Two or more races5.3% · 609
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 373
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 63
Timeline
Historical Census data for Landrum
Landrum 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
#2,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,026
+175 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 4.08
Rank movement Down 191 places
2020
#3,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,526
-500 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,790 | 11,851 | 4.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,981 | 12,026 | 4.08 | +175 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 191 places |
| 2020 | #3,041 | 11,526 | 3.86 | -500 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 60 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 Landrum 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 | #2,981 | #3,041 | -2.0% |
| Count | 12,026 | 11,526 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.08 | 3.86 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Landrum bearers went from 12,026 to 11,526 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,981 to #3,041.
FAQ
Landrum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Landrum?
Name Census estimates that about 13,217 living Americans carry the surname Landrum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,933 residents.
How common is Landrum?
Landrum ranks #3,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,526 people with the surname Landrum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Landrum.
Has Landrum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Landrum went from 12,026 recorded bearers to 11,526. That is a decrease of 500 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,981 to #3,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Landrum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Landrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Landrum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.6% (8,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Landrum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.6%), Black (20.5%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Landrum (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 Landrum mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a ridge or long hill. 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 Landrum (3.86 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 Landrum?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Landrum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.