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

Shum, 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 Shum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shum in America

Shum is the 13627th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shum surname appeared 2,222 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Shum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shum 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 Shum

The surname SHUM originated in China, specifically in the Guangdong province, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese character "岑" (shum), which means "mountain" or "hill". This suggests that the name may have been associated with people who lived in or near mountainous regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHUM can be found in the "Tongzhi" (通志), a local gazetteer published during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). It mentions several villages with the name "Shum" or "Sham" in Guangdong, indicating that the surname was already well-established in the region by that time.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a scholar named SHUM Kwok-leung (岑國樑) was renowned for his expertise in Confucian classics. He served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court and was praised for his integrity and dedication to his duties.

In the 17th century, a famous calligrapher named SHUM Siu-ling (岑紹齡) gained recognition for his exceptional calligraphic skills. His works were highly sought after and can still be found in many art collections today.

The name SHUM also appears in several historical records from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). For instance, a military commander named SHUM Yat-fung (岑日風) was noted for his bravery and leadership during the Ming-Qing transition period.

Another notable figure was SHUM Yung-shan (岑永善), a successful merchant and philanthropist who lived in the late 19th century. He was renowned for his generous donations to various charitable causes and educational institutions in Guangdong.

Throughout history, the SHUM surname has been associated with several place names in China, particularly in the Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Examples include Shumchun (岑村), Shumkong (岑罔), and Shumshui (岑水), which may have been named after individuals or families bearing the SHUM surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shum

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

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 Shum 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 Shum 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 Shum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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