2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Xum
A surname of Chinese origin meaning "prosperous" or "thriving".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 179 Americans carry the last name Xum. That puts it at #117,879 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,914,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xum 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
179
1 in 1,914,829
Census rank
#117,879
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
156
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 156 bearers of the surname Xum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 117879th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xum, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xum
The surname Xum appears to have origins in the region of Catalonia, located in northeastern Spain, with historical roots dating back to the early Middle Ages, around the 10th or 11th century. Catalonia, a region known for its distinct culture and language, was a melting pot of various influences including Iberian, Roman, and Gothic, which contributed to the development of unique local surnames.
The name Xum is believed to be derived from an old Catalan word or family name, possibly associated with a geographical feature or occupation. Early records from the region suggest similar spellings such as Xumà, a variant that might indicate a patronymic form. Medieval manuscripts and parish records from the Diocese of Girona in the 12th century occasionally contain references to the name Xumà, suggesting that the name could have evolved over time.
Historical references to the surname are sparse but notable. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Xum appears in a mid-13th-century tax document, where a Jaume Xum is listed as a landholder in the village of Besalú. This particular entry provides a glimpse into the feudal landscape of Catalonia, illustrating the affiliation of the Xum family with agrarian pursuits and local governance.
During the 14th century, Pere de Xum, born in 1310 and died in 1372, is documented as a minor noble who participated in regional conflicts during the War of the Two Peters. Pere’s involvement in these historical events underscores the presence of the Xum family within the socio-political fabric of the time, despite their relatively low profile in broader historical narratives.
In the 15th century, records from Barcelona cite an Antoni Xum, born in 1445 and passed in 1501, an artisan known for his expertise in crafting traditional Catalan ceramics. Antoni’s work contributed to the thriving artistic culture of Barcelona during the Renaissance, and several pieces bearing inscriptions connected to his workshop still survive in local museums.
By the late 16th century, the name appears in ecclesiastical records. Margarida Xum, born in 1578 and died in 1629, is noted in the annals of the Monastery of Montserrat for her significant charitable contributions and patronage of religious art. Margarida’s legacy highlights the family's involvement in religious and cultural affairs during a period marked by religious reformation and artistic renaissance.
The last significant historical reference comes from the 18th century, where Francesc Xum, born in 1715 and deceased in 1779, served as a scribe and notary in the village of Vic. His meticulous records provide valuable insights into the administrative and legal practices of the era, illustrating the Xum family's continued prominence in regional affairs.
These historical references collectively trace the lineage and influence of the surname Xum through medieval and early modern Catalonia, highlighting its evolution and the varied roles its bearers played in the fabric of local history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xum
Among Census respondents with the surname Xum, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Xum 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 Xum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.9% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 4
- White1.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xum
Xum appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#117,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
+48 bearers (+44.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 33,653 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #117,879 | 156 | 0.05 | +48 bearers (+44.4%) | Up 33,653 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 Xum 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 | #151,532 | #117,879 | 22.2% |
| Count | 108 | 156 | 44.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xum bearers went from 108 to 156 (+44.4% change). The surname moved up 33,653 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #117,879.
FAQ
Xum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xum?
Name Census estimates that about 179 living Americans carry the surname Xum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,914,829 residents.
How common is Xum?
Xum ranks #117,879 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 156 people with the surname Xum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (179), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Xum.
Has Xum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xum went from 108 recorded bearers to 156. That is an increase of 48 (+44.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #117,879.
What does the Census say about the background of Xum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xum, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and White (1.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Xum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (148 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), White (1.9%). 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 Xum (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 Xum mean?
A surname of Chinese origin meaning "prosperous" or "thriving". 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 Xum (0.05 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 people share the surname Xum?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.