Explore the Family Name Varnum
The meaning of Varnum
English (southwestern): variant of Farnham, reflecting the voicing of f that was characteristic of southwestern dialects of Middle English. History: George Varnum emigrated c.1635 from Lilbourne, Northamptonshire, England, to Ipswich, MA. The brothers James Mitchell Varnum (1748–89) and Joseph Bradley Varnum (1750/1–1821), both born in Dracut, MA, were revolutionary war soldiers and congressmen.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Varnum in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Varnum was ranked 14,813 in popularity in 2000 and fell to 15,409 by 2010, reflecting a decrease of 4.02%. Despite this drop in rank, the raw count of individuals bearing the surname Varnum actually increased from 1,837 to 1,901 during the same period, a growth of approximately 3.48%. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, the prevalence of the surname Varnum decreased by 5.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,813 | #15,409 | -4.02% |
| Count | 1,837 | 1,901 | 3.48% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.68 | 0.64 | -5.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Varnum
When analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Varnum using data from the Decennial U.S. Census, it's clear that the majority of individuals identify as white, although this percentage slightly decreased from 92.54% in 2000 to 91.11% in 2010. At the same time, there were notable increases in other ethnic groups. The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, increasing from 0.27% to 0.47%, while those identifying with two or more races rose from 0.93% to 1.32%, a 41.94% increase. Additionally, the percentage of Hispanic individuals increased significantly from 1.36% in 2000 to 2.16% in 2010, an increase of 58.82%. The count of people identifying as Black saw a marginal rise from 4.46% to 4.52%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a slight decrease from 0.44% to 0.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.54% | 91.11% | -1.55% |
| Black | 4.46% | 4.52% | 1.35% |
| Hispanic | 1.36% | 2.16% | 58.82% |
| Two or More Races | 0.93% | 1.32% | 41.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.47% | 74.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.42% | -4.55% |