2000
#3,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,904
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.30
Uncommon Last name
Slocum
An English occupational surname referring to a slow or lazy person, derived from the Middle English word "slowcome."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,123 Americans carry the last name Slocum. That puts it at #3,904 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slocum 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
10K
1 in 33,859
Census rank
#3,904
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,828 bearers of the surname Slocum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3904th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slocum, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slocum
The surname Slocum originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "sloh" meaning "muddy place" and "cumb" meaning "valley" or "hollow." This suggests that the name likely referred to a person who lived in a muddy valley or hollow area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Slocum can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where it was spelled as "Slohcombe." This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where it was listed as "Slokombe." This spelling variation further reinforces the connection between the name and its geographical origins.
During the same century, the Slocum family established a presence in Somerset, where they held lands and properties. This is evident from records such as the Kirby's Inquest, which mentions a "John Slocombe" in 1428.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, including Slocombe, Slokombe, and Slokcombe, before eventually settling on the modern spelling of Slocum.
One notable figure with the surname Slocum was Giles Slocum (c. 1586-1652), who immigrated to America aboard the ship Anne in 1623 and settled in Massachusetts. He is considered one of the earliest Slocum ancestors in the New World.
Another prominent individual was John Slocum (1663-1748), a Quaker preacher and founder of the settlement of Slocum's Ridge in New Jersey. His descendants played a significant role in the early development of the region.
In the 18th century, Joshua Slocum (1844-1909) gained fame as the first person to sail single-handedly around the world. His epic voyage, completed in 1898 aboard the sloop Spray, is documented in his book "Sailing Alone Around the World."
During the same period, William Slocum (1835-1884) made a name for himself as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of Brigadier General.
In more recent history, John Jermain Slocum (1914-1997) was a renowned American businessman and philanthropist, best known for his leadership roles at various companies, including the United States Trust Company and the Grolier Society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slocum
Among Census respondents with the surname Slocum, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Slocum 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 Slocum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.8% · 7,307
- Black or African American9.0% · 797
- Two or more races3.8% · 333
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 295
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slocum
Slocum 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
#3,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,102
+198 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.09
Rank movement Down 232 places
2020
#3,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,828
-274 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 2.95
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,667 | 8,904 | 3.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,899 | 9,102 | 3.09 | +198 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 232 places |
| 2020 | #3,904 | 8,828 | 2.95 | -274 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 5 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 Slocum 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 | #3,899 | #3,904 | -0.1% |
| Count | 9,102 | 8,828 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.09 | 2.95 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slocum bearers went from 9,102 to 8,828 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,899 to #3,904.
FAQ
Slocum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slocum?
Name Census estimates that about 10,123 living Americans carry the surname Slocum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,859 residents.
How common is Slocum?
Slocum ranks #3,904 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,828 people with the surname Slocum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Slocum.
Has Slocum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slocum went from 9,102 recorded bearers to 8,828. That is a decrease of 274 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,899 to #3,904.
What does the Census say about the background of Slocum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slocum, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Slocum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (7,307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slocum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.8%), Black (9.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Slocum (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 Slocum mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a slow or lazy person, derived from the Middle English word "slowcome." 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 Slocum (2.95 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 Slocum?
Find out how many people are called Slocum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.