2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Parthum
An English toponymic surname referring to someone from the Parthian region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Parthum. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parthum 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Parthum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parthum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parthum
The surname Parthum is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Iran, specifically in the area that was once known as Parthia. This region was home to the Parthian Empire, which ruled from around 247 BC to 224 AD. The name Parthum is thought to be derived from the ancient Parthian language, with possible roots in the words for "noble" or "warrior."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Parthum can be found in a collection of ancient Parthian inscriptions dating back to the 1st century AD. These inscriptions, discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Nisa, mention individuals with the name Parthum, suggesting that it was in use during the height of the Parthian Empire.
In the 9th century AD, a Persian scholar named Abu'l-Qasim Parthum wrote a famous treatise on astronomy and mathematics. This work, titled "The Book of Parthum," was highly influential and helped to preserve and disseminate ancient knowledge in these fields. Abu'l-Qasim Parthum lived from approximately 820 to 896 AD.
During the medieval period, the name Parthum was also found in various records and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is a 12th-century manuscript from the Seljuk Empire, which mentions a nobleman named Bahram Parthum who served as a high-ranking official in the court of Sultan Sanjar.
In more recent history, Parthum has been a relatively uncommon surname, but there have been a few notable individuals who bore it. For example, Jamshid Parthum was an Iranian poet and literary critic who lived from 1901 to 1978. His works contributed significantly to the development of modern Persian literature.
Another notable figure was Iraj Parthum, an Iranian architect and urban planner who lived from 1924 to 2005. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban developments in Tehran and other Iranian cities, helping to shape the modern architectural landscape of the country.
While the surname Parthum is not as widespread as some other Iranian surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the ancient Parthian Empire. It serves as a reminder of the enduring cultural and linguistic heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parthum
Among Census respondents with the surname Parthum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Parthum 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 Parthum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 110
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parthum
Parthum 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,281 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+10 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 16,281 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 7,346 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 Parthum 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 | #149,395 | #142,049 | 4.9% |
| Count | 110 | 120 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parthum bearers went from 110 to 120 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 7,346 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,049.
FAQ
Parthum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parthum?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Parthum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Parthum?
Parthum ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Parthum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Parthum.
Has Parthum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parthum went from 110 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 10 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Parthum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parthum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Parthum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parthum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Parthum (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 Parthum mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone from the Parthian region. 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 Parthum (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 many people are called Parthum?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Parthum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.