2000
#3,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,271
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.44
Uncommon Last name
Mangum
A surname of Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "mangon," meaning "merchant" or "trader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,769 Americans carry the last name Mangum. That puts it at #3,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mangum 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
11K
1 in 31,828
Census rank
#3,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.4K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,391 bearers of the surname Mangum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mangum, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mangum
The surname Mangum is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "maneg" meaning "many" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a large or populous settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mangeham." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land ownership in England and provides valuable insights into the names and locations of that time.
During the 13th century, various spellings of the name emerged, such as "Mangeham," "Mangham," and "Mangehayme." These variations reflect the evolving nature of language and the inconsistencies in spelling before standardization became more widespread.
The name Mangum has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is John Mangum (1768-1823), an American politician who served as a United States Senator from North Carolina from 1823 until his death that same year.
Another prominent figure was Willie Person Mangum (1792-1861), also a United States Senator from North Carolina, who served from 1831 to 1837 and again from 1841 to 1853. He played a significant role in the political debates surrounding slavery and the extension of territorial rights.
In the literary world, Harold Mangum (1892-1972) was an American poet and editor known for his contributions to the Chicago Renaissance. His works explored themes of social justice and the African American experience.
The name Mangum has also been connected to various place names in England, such as Mangreen in Worcestershire, which may have derived from the Old English "Mangehyrne," meaning "many corners or angles."
Throughout history, the surname Mangum has undergone various spelling variations, including Mangham, Mangem, and Mangeham, reflecting the linguistic changes and regional influences on the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mangum
Among Census respondents with the surname Mangum, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mangum 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 Mangum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.7% · 6,359
- Black or African American23.8% · 2,235
- Two or more races3.9% · 364
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 350
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mangum
Mangum 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
#3,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,515
+244 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 3.23
Rank movement Down 202 places
2020
#3,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,391
-124 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Up 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,521 | 9,271 | 3.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,723 | 9,515 | 3.23 | +244 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 202 places |
| 2020 | #3,682 | 9,391 | 3.14 | -124 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 41 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 Mangum 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 | #3,723 | #3,682 | 1.1% |
| Count | 9,515 | 9,391 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.23 | 3.14 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mangum bearers went from 9,515 to 9,391 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,723 to #3,682.
FAQ
Mangum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mangum?
Name Census estimates that about 10,769 living Americans carry the surname Mangum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,828 residents.
How common is Mangum?
Mangum ranks #3,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,391 people with the surname Mangum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,769), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mangum.
Has Mangum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mangum went from 9,515 recorded bearers to 9,391. That is a decrease of 124 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,723 to #3,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Mangum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mangum, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mangum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.7% (6,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mangum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.7%), Black (23.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mangum (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 Mangum mean?
A surname of Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "mangon," meaning "merchant" or "trader." 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 Mangum (3.14 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 common is the surname Mangum?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Mangum is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.