Find out how popular the last name Saum is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Saum.

Saum, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Saum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saum in America

Saum is the 19087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saum surname appeared 1,426 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Saum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saum to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Saum

The surname SAUM is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "saum," which means "pack animal" or "pack saddle." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked as pack carriers or traders, transporting goods using pack animals.

The earliest recorded mention of the SAUM surname can be found in the records of the city of Cologne, where a merchant named Johann Saum was documented in the year 1232. Another early reference is found in the Werdener Lehnbuch, a medieval document from the 13th century, which lists a landowner named Berthold Saum.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the records of the town of Lübeck, where a merchant named Konrad Saum is mentioned in 1345. This indicates that the name had spread to various regions of Germany by that time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the SAUM surname was Johann Saum (c. 1490-1556), a German humanist and reformer who was closely associated with Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. He served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of the time.

Another significant figure was Johann Friedrich Saum (1668-1737), a German theologian and philosopher who was known for his work in natural theology and his contributions to the reconciliation of reason and faith.

In the 18th century, the SAUM surname appears in connection with the town of Saumburg, located in the present-day state of Hesse, Germany. This place name shares a similar root to the surname, suggesting a possible connection between the two.

During the 19th century, several individuals with the SAUM surname made notable contributions in various fields. For example, Karl Friedrich Saum (1802-1871) was a German botanist and naturalist who conducted extensive research on the flora of Germany.

Another individual of note was Wilhelm Saum (1841-1906), a German-American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his detailed illustrations of birds and natural scenes.

Throughout history, the SAUM surname has been found across various regions of Germany, as well as in areas where German immigrants settled, such as the United States and Canada. While the name may have evolved with slight variations in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the Old German word "saum," reflecting the historical association with pack animals and trade routes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saum

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Saum.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Saum was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Saum has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Saum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Saum, please contact us.

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