2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Noem
A surname deriving from the Germanic name "Naumann" meaning a new man or newcomer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Noem. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noem 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Noem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noem, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noem
The surname "Noem" is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "noemen," which means "to name" or "to call." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was known for their ability to name or call out things.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Dutch city of Utrecht in the 15th century. In a historical document from 1462, a merchant named Claes Noem is mentioned as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, the surname appears to have spread to other parts of the Netherlands, with records showing individuals named Noem living in cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. One notable figure from this period was Pieter Noem, a Dutch painter born in 1587 who was known for his landscapes and still-life paintings.
As the surname continued to spread throughout the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries, variations in spelling began to emerge. Some historical records from this time show the name spelled as "Noems," "Noemse," or "Noemsz."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname outside of the Netherlands comes from the city of London in the late 17th century. A merchant named Jan Noem, who was born in Amsterdam in 1652, is recorded as having settled in London and established a successful trading business.
Another notable figure with the surname Noem was Jacobus Noem, a Dutch philosopher and theologian born in 1732. He is known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, which were influential in the Netherlands during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the surname began to spread beyond the Netherlands and Europe as Dutch emigration increased. One prominent individual from this time was Willem Noem, a Dutch-American businessman born in 1842 who became a successful industrialist in the United States.
Other notable individuals with the surname Noem include Pieter Noem, a Dutch-American artist born in 1876 who was known for his landscape paintings, and Johannes Noem, a South African politician born in 1890 who served as a member of parliament in the early 20th century.
While the surname Noem has its origins in the Netherlands, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Dutch emigration and settlement. Despite its modest beginnings, the name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as art, philosophy, business, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noem
Among Census respondents with the surname Noem, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Noem 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 Noem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noem
Noem appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,705 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 Noem 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 | #156,044 | #152,339 | 2.4% |
| Count | 104 | 106 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noem bearers went from 104 to 106 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #152,339.
FAQ
Noem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noem?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Noem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Noem?
Noem ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Noem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Noem.
Has Noem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noem went from 104 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Noem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noem, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Noem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Noem (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 Noem mean?
A surname deriving from the Germanic name "Naumann" meaning a new man or newcomer. 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 Noem (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 Noem?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Noem at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.