2000
#7,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Forsberg
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the place name Forsberg, meaning "rapids mountain" or "waterfall mountain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,652 Americans carry the last name Forsberg. That puts it at #7,842 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,679 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forsberg 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
4.7K
1 in 73,679
Census rank
#7,842
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,057 bearers of the surname Forsberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7842nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forsberg
The surname Forsberg originates from Sweden and dates back to the 16th century. It is a locational surname derived from the Swedish words 'fors', meaning a waterfall or rapids, and 'berg', meaning a mountain or hill. The name likely originated from a specific place or farm located near a waterfall or rapids in a mountainous region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forsberg can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 16th century. The name was prevalent in the regions of Dalarna, Värmland, and Västmanland, areas known for their rugged terrain and numerous waterfalls.
In the 17th century, the Forsberg name appeared in several historical documents, including land records and tax registers. Notable individuals from this period include Johan Forsberg (1603-1672), a prominent merchant from Värmland, and Karin Forsberg (1625-1701), a landowner from Dalarna.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Forsberg name became more widespread across Sweden as people migrated to urban areas and abroad. One of the most notable figures from this time was Carl August Forsberg (1783-1847), a Swedish botanist and explorer who conducted expeditions in South America.
Other notable individuals with the Forsberg surname include:
1. Nils Erik Forsberg (1842-1934), a Swedish-American industrialist and founder of the Forsberg Iron and Steel Company in Chicago.
2. Emmy Forsberg (1854-1923), a Swedish opera singer known for her performances in the works of Richard Wagner.
3. Sven Forsberg (1900-1980), a Swedish cross-country skier who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Winter Olympics.
4. Ingrid Forsberg (1924-2011), a Swedish politician and member of the Swedish Riksdag (parliament) from 1971 to 1988.
5. Gunnar Forsberg (1923-2003), a Swedish architect known for his modernist designs, including the Uppsala Concert and Congress Hall.
While the Forsberg name has its roots in Sweden, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and has evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Forssberg and Forssbergh.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forsberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Forsberg 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 Forsberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 3,764
- Two or more races2.9% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 46
- Black or African American0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forsberg
Forsberg 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
#7,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,294
+126 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 364 places
2020
#7,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,057
-237 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 110 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,368 | 4,168 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,732 | 4,294 | 1.46 | +126 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 364 places |
| 2020 | #7,842 | 4,057 | 1.36 | -237 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 110 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 Forsberg 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 | #7,732 | #7,842 | -1.4% |
| Count | 4,294 | 4,057 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.36 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forsberg bearers went from 4,294 to 4,057 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 110 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,732 to #7,842.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Forsberg
FAQ
Forsberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forsberg?
Name Census estimates that about 4,652 living Americans carry the surname Forsberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,679 residents.
How common is Forsberg?
Forsberg ranks #7,842 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,057 people with the surname Forsberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,652), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Forsberg.
Has Forsberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forsberg went from 4,294 recorded bearers to 4,057. That is a decrease of 237 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,732 to #7,842.
What does the Census say about the background of Forsberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Forsberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (3,764 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forsberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Forsberg (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 Forsberg mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the place name Forsberg, meaning "rapids mountain" or "waterfall mountain." 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 Forsberg (1.36 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 share the surname Forsberg?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.