2000
#20,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Um
A variant spelling of the surname Uhm, referring to a person from a location in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,011 Americans carry the last name Um. That puts it at #15,984 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 170,440 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Um 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
2.0K
1 in 170,440
Census rank
#15,984
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,754 bearers of the surname Um in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15984th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Um, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Um
The surname "Um" is believed to have originated from the German word "um," which means "around" or "about." This name is thought to have first appeared in the late 13th century in the region of Bavaria, located in modern-day Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Um" can be found in a document from the year 1298, which mentions a certain "Johannes Um" residing in the town of Regensburg, Bavaria. It is possible that this individual's ancestors may have lived in or near a location that was situated "around" a particular landmark or geographical feature, leading to the adoption of the surname.
During the 14th century, the name "Um" began to spread beyond Bavaria and into other parts of the German-speaking world. For instance, in 1367, a man named "Heinrich Um" was recorded as a resident of the city of Cologne, located in what is now western Germany.
In the 15th century, the surname "Um" appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany. One notable example is a document from 1457 that mentions a "Peter Um" who was a merchant based in the city of Hamburg.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "Um" continued to be found throughout Germany and other parts of Europe. Several individuals with this last name achieved recognition in various fields. One such person was Johann Friedrich Um (1707-1786), a prominent German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.
Another notable figure with the surname "Um" was Karl Um (1824-1901), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Berlin during the 19th century.
In the realm of literature, the German writer and poet Anna Um (1860-1932) gained recognition for her works, which often explored themes related to nature and the human condition.
While the surname "Um" is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and other historical factors. For example, in the 19th century, there were records of individuals with the surname "Um" living in various regions of Austria and Switzerland.
Overall, the surname "Um" has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany, with its origins potentially linked to geographical locations or landmarks. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this last name have made significant contributions in various fields, further adding to the legacy and significance of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Um
Among Census respondents with the surname Um, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Um 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 Um surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.2% · 1,634
- White2.6% · 45
- Two or more races2.0% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 24
- Black or African American0.9% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Um
Um 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
#17,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,607
+417 bearers (+35.0%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 3,139 places
2020
#15,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,754
+147 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 1,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,665 | 1,190 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,526 | 1,607 | 0.54 | +417 bearers (+35.0%) | Up 3,139 places |
| 2020 | #15,984 | 1,754 | 0.59 | +147 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 1,542 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 Um 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 | #17,526 | #15,984 | 8.8% |
| Count | 1,607 | 1,754 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.59 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Um bearers went from 1,607 to 1,754 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 1,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,526 to #15,984.
FAQ
Um surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Um?
Name Census estimates that about 2,011 living Americans carry the surname Um. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 170,440 residents.
How common is Um?
Um ranks #15,984 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,754 people with the surname Um. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Um.
Has Um become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Um went from 1,607 recorded bearers to 1,754. That is an increase of 147 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,526 to #15,984.
What does the Census say about the background of Um?
Among Census respondents with the surname Um, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Um in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (1,634 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Um appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.2%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Um (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 Um mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Uhm, referring to a person from a location in Germany. 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 Um (0.59 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 Americans have the surname Um?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.