2000
#26,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Sjostrom
A Swedish surname derived from the Swedish words "sjö" (lake) and "ström" (stream), likely referring to someone living near a lake or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,035 Americans carry the last name Sjostrom. That puts it at #28,136 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 331,164 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sjostrom 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
1.0K
1 in 331,164
Census rank
#28,136
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
903
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 903 bearers of the surname Sjostrom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28136th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sjostrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sjostrom
The surname Sjostrom is of Swedish origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Swedish words "sjo" meaning "lake" and "strom" meaning "stream". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a lake or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sjostrom appears in the Swedish parish records of Huskvarna in the province of Smaland in 1587. The name was originally spelled "Sioström" in these early documents.
In the 17th century, the Sjostrom name can be found in various parts of Sweden, particularly in the provinces of Smaland, Vastergotland, and Ostergotland. This suggests that the name had spread from its original location in Smaland to other regions of the country.
The Sjostrom surname is also linked to several place names in Sweden, such as Sjöstrom in the municipality of Sölvesborg and Sjöströmmen in the municipality of Karlskrona. These place names likely predate the use of the surname and may have influenced its formation.
One notable figure with the Sjostrom surname was the Swedish actor and director Victor Sjostrom (1879-1960), who was a pioneer of Swedish cinema in the early 20th century. He directed several influential films, including The Phantom Carriage (1921) and The Wind (1928).
Another prominent individual with the Sjostrom name was the Swedish chemist Nils Gabriel Sjostrom (1856-1925), who made significant contributions to the study of cellulose and the development of the chemical pulp industry.
In the 19th century, the Sjostrom name appeared in several historical records, including the Swedish census of 1890, where it was found in various parts of the country.
Other notable individuals with the Sjostrom surname include the Swedish painter Gunnar Sjostrom (1881-1961), the Swedish politician Kaj Sjostrom (1904-1987), and the Swedish ice hockey player Ulf Sjostrom (born 1935).
While the Sjostrom surname has its roots in Sweden, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sjostrom
Among Census respondents with the surname Sjostrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sjostrom 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 Sjostrom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 847
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 20
- Two or more races2.0% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 10
- Black or African American0.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sjostrom
Sjostrom 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
#27,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 893
+24 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 691 places
2020
#28,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 903
+10 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 1,026 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,419 | 869 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,110 | 893 | 0.30 | +24 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 691 places |
| 2020 | #28,136 | 903 | 0.30 | +10 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 1,026 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 Sjostrom 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 | #27,110 | #28,136 | -3.8% |
| Count | 893 | 903 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sjostrom bearers went from 893 to 903 (+1.1% change). The surname moved down 1,026 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,110 to #28,136.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sjostrom
FAQ
Sjostrom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sjostrom?
Name Census estimates that about 1,035 living Americans carry the surname Sjostrom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 331,164 residents.
How common is Sjostrom?
Sjostrom ranks #28,136 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 903 people with the surname Sjostrom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,035), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Sjostrom.
Has Sjostrom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sjostrom went from 893 recorded bearers to 903. That is an increase of 10 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,110 to #28,136.
What does the Census say about the background of Sjostrom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sjostrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (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 Sjostrom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (847 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sjostrom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (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 Sjostrom (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 Sjostrom mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the Swedish words "sjö" (lake) and "ström" (stream), likely referring to someone living near a lake or stream. 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 Sjostrom (0.30 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 Sjostrom?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Sjostrom on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.