2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Leum
An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English word "leoma" meaning "a ray of light or a beam".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Leum. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leum 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Leum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leum
The surname LEUM is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period, likely derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "leum" meaning "leap" or "jump," or "leumadair" meaning "leaper" or "jumper." This name may have initially been a descriptive nickname referring to someone who was known for their exceptional leaping or jumping abilities, perhaps in a profession such as hunting or athletics.
The earliest known records of the LEUM surname date back to the 14th century in the Kingdom of Scotland. Some of the earliest documented instances include John Leum, a landowner in Ayrshire mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1369, and Robert Leum, a merchant in Aberdeen whose name appears in the city's burgh records in 1432.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the LEUM surname was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Highlands, specifically in the regions of Argyll, Inverness-shire, and Ross-shire. Variations in spelling, such as Leum, Leume, and Lewme, were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable historical figure bearing the LEUM surname was Dougal Leum, a Scottish Highland clan chief and warrior who lived in the late 15th century. Dougal Leum is mentioned in the Book of the Dean of Lismore, an ancient manuscript containing a collection of Scottish Gaelic poetry and genealogies, for his bravery in battle against rival clans.
Another significant individual was Archibald Leum, born in 1587 in Inverness-shire, who served as a Scottish soldier and fought alongside the Marquis of Montrose during the Scottish Civil War in the 1640s. Leum's name is recorded in the memoirs of Sir James Turner, a contemporary Scottish military officer.
In the 18th century, the LEUM surname spread to other parts of Scotland and the United Kingdom, as well as to North America and Australia, due to Scottish migration and immigration. Some notable bearers of the name during this period include William Leum (1702-1778), a Scottish merchant and landowner in Argyll, and John Leum (1732-1801), a Scottish-born farmer and pioneer settler in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Throughout its history, the LEUM surname has been associated with various occupations, from landowners and merchants to soldiers and farmers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leum
Among Census respondents with the surname Leum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Leum 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 Leum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leum
Leum 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
-8 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,917 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-24 bearers (-17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,939 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | -8 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 12,917 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.5%) | Down 21,939 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 Leum 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 | #125,282 | #147,221 | -17.5% |
| Count | 137 | 113 | -17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leum bearers went from 137 to 113 (-17.5% change). The surname moved down 21,939 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #147,221.
FAQ
Leum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leum?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Leum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Leum?
Leum ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Leum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Leum.
Has Leum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leum went from 137 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Leum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Leum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Leum (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 Leum mean?
An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English word "leoma" meaning "a ray of light or a beam". 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 Leum (0.04 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 Leum?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Leum at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.