2000
#30,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 730
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Rumer
A surname derived from the Aramaic word for "Roman" or "from Rome".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 954 Americans carry the last name Rumer. That puts it at #30,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 359,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rumer 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
954
1 in 359,281
Census rank
#30,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
832
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 832 bearers of the surname Rumer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rumer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rumer
The surname RUMER is of English origin, emerging in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ruman," which means "roomer" or "spacious." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a large or spacious dwelling.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname RUMER can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England. Some of the earliest written records include the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a Walter le Rumer, and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a Richard le Rumer.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, from 1317, where a John Rumer is mentioned. The Feet of Fines for Essex in 1381 also references a John Rumer.
During the 15th century, the surname RUMER can be found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from a wealthy English family. In a letter dated 1472, a John Rumer is mentioned as a servant of Sir John Paston.
One notable figure bearing the surname RUMER was Sir Thomas Rumer (c. 1540-1599), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as Recorder of Norwich and represented Great Yarmouth in the House of Commons.
Another historically significant individual with the RUMER surname was William Rumer (1561-1628), an English clergyman who became the Bishop of Norwich in 1607 and held the position until his death.
In the 17th century, the surname RUMER appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1624, which mentions a John Rumer, and the Hearth Tax Returns of Oxfordshire from 1665, listing a William Rumer.
One notable figure from this period was Richard Rumer (1622-1696), an English politician who served as Mayor of Winchester and represented the city in the House of Commons.
In the 18th century, the surname RUMER can be found in various parish records and legal documents across England. For example, the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham from 1723 include the name Thomas Rumer.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rumer
Among Census respondents with the surname Rumer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rumer 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 Rumer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 750
- Two or more races4.2% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 27
- Black or African American1.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rumer
Rumer 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
#32,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 720
-10 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,767 places
2020
#30,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 832
+112 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 1,903 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,264 | 730 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,031 | 720 | 0.24 | -10 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 1,767 places |
| 2020 | #30,128 | 832 | 0.28 | +112 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 1,903 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 Rumer 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 | #32,031 | #30,128 | 5.9% |
| Count | 720 | 832 | 15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.28 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rumer bearers went from 720 to 832 (+15.6% change). The surname moved up 1,903 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,031 to #30,128.
FAQ
Rumer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rumer?
Name Census estimates that about 954 living Americans carry the surname Rumer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 359,281 residents.
How common is Rumer?
Rumer ranks #30,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 832 people with the surname Rumer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (954), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rumer.
Has Rumer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rumer went from 720 recorded bearers to 832. That is an increase of 112 (+15.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #32,031 to #30,128.
What does the Census say about the background of Rumer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rumer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Rumer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (750 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rumer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Rumer (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 Rumer mean?
A surname derived from the Aramaic word for "Roman" or "from Rome". 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 Rumer (0.28 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 are called Rumer?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Rumer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.