Rossum
A variant spelling of the German surname Rossmann, referring to a horse breeder or dealer.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 308 Americans carry the last name Rossum. That puts it at #69,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,112,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rossum surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
308
1 in 1,112,839
Census rank
#69,996
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
280
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 280 bearers of the surname Rossum in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossum, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (41.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rossum
The surname Rossum is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch words "ros" meaning horse and "sum" meaning some, suggesting a possible connection to someone who owned or traded horses.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th century in various Dutch records and manuscripts. One notable example is a reference to a Johannes Rossum in a 1487 document from the city of Utrecht.
In the 16th century, the name began to appear in various regions of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. During this time, variations such as Rossem, Rosem, and Rosum were also documented.
The surname Rossum was also associated with several place names in the Netherlands, including the town of Rossum in the province of Overijssel, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in certain areas.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Rossum was Gerrit van Rossum, a Dutch engineer and inventor who lived from 1577 to 1638. He is credited with developing an early form of the precursor to the modern-day bicycle.
Another prominent figure was Willem van Rossum, a 16th-century Dutch military commander who played a significant role in the Eighty Years' War against Spain. He was born in 1542 and died in 1609.
In the 18th century, the name Rossum gained prominence in the field of literature with the Dutch writer and poet Jacob Rossum, who was born in 1712 and died in 1784. His works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
The 19th century saw the rise of the Dutch economist and political theorist Cornelis Roelof Rossum, born in 1821 and died in 1898. He made significant contributions to the development of economic thought and advocated for social reforms.
In more recent times, the Dutch computer scientist Guido van Rossum, born in 1956, is known as the creator of the widely-used Python programming language, which has had a significant impact on the field of computer science and software development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rossum
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossum, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (41.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rossum bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Rossum surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.6%
- Black or African American41.8%
- Hispanic or Latino2.5%
- Two or more races1.8%
- Unknown or suppressed0.3%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Rossum surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #67,522 | #69,996 | -3.7% |
| Count | 273 | 280 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.09 | -10.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Rossum bearers went from 273 to 280 (+2.6% change). The surname moved down 2,474 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,522 to #69,996.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rossum
FAQ
Rossum surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Rossum?
The surname Rossum holds position #69,996 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 308 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Rossum surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossum, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (41.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.