2000
#53,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 364
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Lynum
A Scottish surname derived from the village of Lyne in Peeblesshire, Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 525 Americans carry the last name Lynum. That puts it at #49,576 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 652,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lynum 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
525
1 in 652,865
Census rank
#49,576
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
458
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 458 bearers of the surname Lynum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49576th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynum, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.1%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lynum
The surname Lynum originates from England, specifically the East Midlands region. It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century, derived from the Old English word "lin" meaning a pool or body of water. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a pool or pond.
The earliest known written record of the name Lynum appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where it is spelled "Lynholm". This suggests the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to a place called Linholm or a similar variation.
In the 13th century, the name can be found in various forms such as Lynholm, Lyneholme, and Lynham, reflecting the local dialects and spellings of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was William de Lynholm, who was recorded as a landowner in Nottinghamshire in 1273.
By the 14th century, the spelling had evolved to its modern form of Lynum. A notable example is John Lynum, a merchant from Leicester, who is mentioned in the Borough Records of Leicester in 1347.
Throughout the medieval period, the Lynum family was primarily concentrated in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. Some prominent individuals from this time include:
1. Robert Lynum (c. 1380 - 1446), a wealthy wool merchant and alderman of Leicester.
2. Alice Lynum (c. 1420 - 1498), a landowner and benefactor who endowed a chantry chapel in Nottingham.
3. Thomas Lynum (c. 1510 - 1578), a prominent clergyman and rector of St. Mary's Church in Leicester.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lynum family continued to thrive in the East Midlands region, with many members involved in trades such as farming, weaving, and tanning. Noteworthy individuals from this period include:
4. William Lynum (1567 - 1632), a respected landowner and justice of the peace in Nottinghamshire.
5. Elizabeth Lynum (1601 - 1679), a wealthy widow and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of a school in Loughborough.
As the centuries progressed, the Lynum family gradually spread across England, with some members even emigrating to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lynum
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynum, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.1%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lynum 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 Lynum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.1% · 266
- White29.5% · 135
- Two or more races6.8% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lynum
Lynum 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
#47,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 445
+81 bearers (+22.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 5,685 places
2020
#49,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 458
+13 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #53,299 | 364 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,614 | 445 | 0.15 | +81 bearers (+22.3%) | Up 5,685 places |
| 2020 | #49,576 | 458 | 0.15 | +13 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 1,962 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 Lynum 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 | #47,614 | #49,576 | -4.1% |
| Count | 445 | 458 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lynum bearers went from 445 to 458 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 1,962 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,614 to #49,576.
FAQ
Lynum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lynum?
Name Census estimates that about 525 living Americans carry the surname Lynum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 652,865 residents.
How common is Lynum?
Lynum ranks #49,576 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 458 people with the surname Lynum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Lynum.
Has Lynum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lynum went from 445 recorded bearers to 458. That is an increase of 13 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #47,614 to #49,576.
What does the Census say about the background of Lynum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynum, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.1%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lynum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.1% (266 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lynum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.1%), White (29.5%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Lynum (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 Lynum mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the village of Lyne in Peeblesshire, Scotland. 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 Lynum (0.15 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 Lynum?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Lynum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.