2000
#52,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 374
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Korsmo
A Norwegian surname originating from a farmstead name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 467 Americans carry the last name Korsmo. That puts it at #54,637 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 733,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Korsmo 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
467
1 in 733,949
Census rank
#54,637
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
407
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 407 bearers of the surname Korsmo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54637th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Korsmo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Korsmo
The surname KORSMO is of Norwegian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a farm or village named Korsmo in the western region of Norway, specifically in the county of Møre og Romsdal.
The name KORSMO is likely a compound word derived from the Old Norse elements "kross" (meaning "cross") and "mo" (meaning "sandy plain" or "heath"). This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a location marked by a cross or a cruciform shape on a sandy plain or heathland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KORSMO name can be found in the Diplom Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and documents dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, a person named Thorstein Korsmo is mentioned in a document from the year 1299.
In the 16th century, a man named Olav Korsmo was recorded as a farmer and landowner in the parish of Herøy, located in the county of Møre og Romsdal. This suggests that the KORSMO surname had already been established as a prominent family name in the region by that time.
One notable historical figure with the KORSMO surname was Hans Korsmo (1868-1953), a Norwegian playwright and novelist. He was born in Kristiansund, Norway, and is best known for his works depicting life in rural Norway, such as the novel "Børten" (1908).
Another individual of note was Ivar Korsmo (1857-1940), a Norwegian engineer and industrialist. He played a significant role in the development of Norway's hydroelectric power industry and was the founder of the company Korsmo Fabrikker, which produced electrical equipment and machinery.
In the 19th century, a man named Ole Korsmo (1812-1890) was recorded as a farmer and landowner in the parish of Haram, also located in Møre og Romsdal county. This further reinforces the longstanding presence of the KORSMO surname in this region of Norway.
While the KORSMO name is primarily associated with Norway, it has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and immigration. For example, there are records of individuals with the KORSMO surname in the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant Norwegian diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Korsmo
Among Census respondents with the surname Korsmo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Korsmo 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 Korsmo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 371
- Two or more races3.9% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 6
- Black or African American0.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Korsmo
Korsmo 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
#53,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 388
+14 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,142 places
2020
#54,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 407
+19 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 1,321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,174 | 374 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,316 | 388 | 0.13 | +14 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 1,142 places |
| 2020 | #54,637 | 407 | 0.14 | +19 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 1,321 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 Korsmo 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 | #53,316 | #54,637 | -2.5% |
| Count | 388 | 407 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Korsmo bearers went from 388 to 407 (+4.9% change). The surname moved down 1,321 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,316 to #54,637.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Korsmo
FAQ
Korsmo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Korsmo?
Name Census estimates that about 467 living Americans carry the surname Korsmo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 733,949 residents.
How common is Korsmo?
Korsmo ranks #54,637 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 407 people with the surname Korsmo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (467), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Korsmo.
Has Korsmo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Korsmo went from 388 recorded bearers to 407. That is an increase of 19 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #53,316 to #54,637.
What does the Census say about the background of Korsmo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Korsmo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Korsmo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (371 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Korsmo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Korsmo (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 Korsmo mean?
A Norwegian surname originating from a farmstead name. 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 Korsmo (0.14 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 many people have the last name Korsmo?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Korsmo at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.