Explore the Family Name Thum
The meaning of Thum
1. English (mainly Hampshire): nickname from Middle English thum, thoumb ‘thumb’, for someone with a missing or deformed thumb, or for someone of very small size. Compare the folk tale of ‘Tom Thumb’. This surname is rare in Britain and Ireland. 2. German: from a short form (of Slavic origin) of the personal name Thomas. 3. German: habitational name from any of the places called Thum in Rhineland and Saxony, or Thumen in Bavaria, or a topographic name from Middle High German tuom ‘episcopal church’ (Dom). 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 譚, based on its Cantonese pronunciation, see Tan 1. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 覃, see Tan 2 or Qin 3. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Dieter, Guenther, Gunter, Heinrich, Reinhard.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Thum in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Thum saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 33,169 and by 2010, it dropped to 35,246 marking a change of -6.26%. The count of individuals with the surname also slightly decreased from 650 in 2000 to 639 in 2010, reflecting a minor decline of -1.69%. This indicates that for every 100,000 people, the proportion of those named Thum fell by -8.33% from 0.24 to 0.22 during the 10-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,169 | #35,246 | -6.26% |
| Count | 650 | 639 | -1.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.22 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Thum
As per the ethnic identity distribution shown in the Decennial U.S. Census, there has been some fluctuation among individuals with the surname Thum. A majority identify as White, though this number decreased from 91.85% in 2000 to 88.11% in 2010. During the same period, Asian/Pacific Islander representation more than doubled, going from 2.92% to 5.48%. Hispanic representation within the Thum surname also increased, from 2.92% to 4.23%. No individuals identified as Black or belonging to two or more races in 2010, while a new ethnicity emerged, with American Indian and Alaskan Native making up 0.94% of the Thum population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.85% | 88.11% | -4.07% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.92% | 5.48% | 87.67% |
| Hispanic | 2.92% | 4.23% | 44.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.94% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.38% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |