2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Umnus
From the Arabic word meaning rich or powerful.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Umnus. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Umnus 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Umnus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Umnus, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Umnus
The surname UMNUS originated in the Scandinavian region, specifically in Norway during the Viking era around the 9th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "umm" meaning "around" and "nus" meaning "nose," suggesting a possible physical characteristic or nickname related to the shape of one's nose.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name UMNUS can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives and legends from the 13th century. Notably, the saga of Gunnlaug Ormstunga mentions a character named Umnus Bjarnason, who was a renowned skald (poet) and warrior from the late 10th century.
During the Middle Ages, variations of the name UMNUS appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts across Scandinavia. In the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of ancient Norwegian documents dating back to the 12th century, there are references to individuals with the surname UMNUS, such as Thorvald Umnus, a prominent landowner in the region of Trondheim.
One notable figure in history bearing the surname UMNUS was Haakon Umnus (c. 1230-1295), a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Battle of Largs in 1263, where Norwegian forces under King Haakon IV fought against the Scots. Haakon Umnus was praised for his leadership and bravery during the conflict.
In the late 14th century, the name UMNUS was also found in the Kalmar Union, a historical union that united the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch. During this period, a merchant named Olav Umnus (c. 1370-1432) from Bergen, Norway, gained prominence for his successful trade ventures across the Baltic Sea region.
Another historical figure of note was Ingrid Umnus (c. 1520-1588), a Norwegian noblewoman and landowner who was known for her patronage of the arts and literature. Her estate in Trondheim was a gathering place for poets, scholars, and artists during the Renaissance period.
While the surname UMNUS has its origins in Scandinavia, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe through migration and cultural exchange. However, the earliest and most significant historical records of this surname can be traced back to its Norse roots in Norway and the surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Umnus
Among Census respondents with the surname Umnus, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Umnus 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 Umnus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Umnus
Umnus 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,840 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,840 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Umnus 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Umnus bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Umnus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Umnus?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Umnus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Umnus?
Umnus ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Umnus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Umnus.
Has Umnus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Umnus went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Umnus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Umnus, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Umnus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Umnus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Umnus (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 Umnus mean?
From the Arabic word meaning rich or powerful. 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 Umnus (0.04 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 Umnus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.