Bynum

♂ Boy

Pronounced BY-num /ˈbaɪnəm/Medium

Meaning: Bynum is an English habitational surname, generally traced to an Old English phrase meaning at the bends or nooks of land. Carried to the American South, it became a given name honoring a family line.Low

In 30 seconds: Bynum is an English surname, likely meaning at the bends of the land, that Southern families turned into a first name. It was never common (said BY-num).

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Origin LowEnglish, American

MeaningBynum is an English habitational surname, generally traced to an Old English phrase meaning at the bends or nooks of land. Carried to the American South, it became a given name honoring a family line.

U.S. rank (1952)#3413 ↘ Falling

1952 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1924

Total births (all-time)≈ 223

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Bynum began as an English place-based surname, usually explained as at the bends or nooks, and travelled into American given-name use chiefly in the South. Turning a surname into a first name was a common way to honor kin, and Bynum carried that family-heirloom feel.

As a birth name it belonged mostly to the early twentieth century, peaking in the nineteen-twenties and thinning by mid-century. It went to only about twenty boys a year, so a Bynum of that era would be a great-grandfather now.

Did you know? Southern families often lifted surnames like Bynum into first-name use to keep a mother's maiden line alive across generations.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Bynum — English habitational surname used as a Southern given name

Variations

BynamBinumBynem

Nicknames

ByByn

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Bynum mean?

It is an English surname, most likely meaning at the bends or nooks of land.

How do you pronounce Bynum?

It is said BY-num /ˈbaɪnəm/, two syllables with the stress up front.

Is Bynum a boy or girl name?

Bynum is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Bynum?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.