2000
#1,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,262
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.40
Uncommon Last name
Blum
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "bluome," meaning flower or blossom.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,138 Americans carry the last name Blum. That puts it at #2,109 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,910 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blum 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blum with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 17,910
Census rank
#2,109
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,689 bearers of the surname Blum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2109th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blum
The surname Blum originated in Germany, likely in the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "blume," meaning "flower." The name may have been given to someone who lived near a flower garden or meadow, or perhaps it was an occupational surname for a gardener or florist.
In medieval times, surnames were often descriptive, referring to a person's physical appearance, occupation, or place of residence. The name Blum could have been initially used as a nickname before becoming an established surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blum can be found in the Württemberg tax records of 1359, where a certain Hans Blum is mentioned. In the 15th century, there is a record of a Konrad Blum in the city of Heidelberg.
The name Blum has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752-1840) was a German anthropologist and naturalist who is considered one of the founders of scientific racism. Johann Blum (1798-1848) was a German revolutionary and republican who played a significant role in the Revolutions of 1848.
Robert Blum (1807-1848) was a German writer, poet, and politician who was executed by firing squad for his involvement in the Revolutions of 1848. His death sparked outrage across Germany and became a rallying cry for the revolutionary movement.
Robert Blum (1857-1903) was a German composer and music teacher known for his works for piano and chamber ensembles. He was also a respected music critic and writer on musical theory.
Walter Blum (1895-1964) was an American architect who designed several iconic buildings in New York City, including the Associated Press Building and the Museum of Modern Art's first permanent home.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Blum throughout history. The name's origins in Germany and its connection to the word "flower" have endured for centuries, making it a unique and distinctive surname with a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blum
Among Census respondents with the surname Blum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Blum 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 Blum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 15,408
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 653
- Two or more races2.2% · 374
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 117
- Black or African American0.6% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blum
Blum 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
#2,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,458
+196 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 5.92
Rank movement Down 159 places
2020
#2,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,689
-769 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 5.58
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,913 | 17,262 | 6.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,072 | 17,458 | 5.92 | +196 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 159 places |
| 2020 | #2,109 | 16,689 | 5.58 | -769 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 37 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 Blum 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 | #2,072 | #2,109 | -1.8% |
| Count | 17,458 | 16,689 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.92 | 5.58 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blum bearers went from 17,458 to 16,689 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,072 to #2,109.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blum
FAQ
Blum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blum?
Name Census estimates that about 19,138 living Americans carry the surname Blum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,910 residents.
How common is Blum?
Blum ranks #2,109 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,689 people with the surname Blum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Blum.
Has Blum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blum went from 17,458 recorded bearers to 16,689. That is a decrease of 769 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,072 to #2,109.
What does the Census say about the background of Blum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Blum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (15,408 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Blum (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 Blum mean?
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "bluome," meaning flower or blossom. 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 Blum (5.58 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 have the surname Blum?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.