Explore the Family Name Dum
The meaning of Dum
1. German: variant of Dumm. 2. Indian (northern states): Shilpkaar name, apparently from a derogatory Hindi word meaning ‘rump’. The word dom means ‘minstrel’ in Balochi, but that is probably not relevant to the surname. History: Johann Caspar Dum (born in Alsace and Lorraine in 1720) settled in Richmond township, PA, where he died in 1802.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dum in the United States?
The popularity of the surname Dum, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, has declined between 2000 and 2010. The rank slipped from 52,935 in 2000 to 64,054 in 2010, a drop of approximately 21 percent. The actual count of individuals carrying the Dum surname also decreased during this period, going from 367 to 311, marking a reduction of around 15 percent. Consequently, the proportion of the Dum surname per 100k people in the US population dropped by over 20 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #52,935 | #64,054 | -21.01% |
| Count | 367 | 311 | -15.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.14 | 0.11 | -21.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dum
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Dum surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals significant changes between 2000 and 2010. While the proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders bearing this name fell sharply from 31.88 percent to 15.43 percent, there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of Whites and Blacks. White individuals with the Dum surname increased from 61.85 percent to 73.95 percent while Black individuals rose from 2.18 percent to 6.11 percent. In addition, the Hispanic community represented a new demographic bearing the Dum surname in 2010. However, the data for those identifying as two or more races was suppressed for privacy reasons in 2010, and the Dum surname was not recorded among American Indian and Alaskan Natives during either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 61.85% | 73.95% | 19.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 31.88% | 15.43% | -51.6% |
| Black | 2.18% | 6.11% | 180.28% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 4.18% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 3.27% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |