2000
#1,442
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,762
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.44
Uncommon Last name
Swenson
Son of Sven, a Scandinavian patronymic surname derived from the given name Sven, meaning "young man" or "boy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,517 Americans carry the last name Swenson. That puts it at #1,572 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,432 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swenson 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
26K
1 in 13,432
Census rank
#1,572
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,252 bearers of the surname Swenson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1572nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swenson
The surname Swenson originated in Sweden during the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, derived from the combination of the Swedish personal name Sven and the suffix "-son" meaning "son of." Sven is an ancient Scandinavian name, believed to have origins in the Old Norse word "sveinr," meaning "young man" or "servant."
In Sweden, patronymic surnames were commonly used, with the son taking the father's given name and adding the suffix "-son." This tradition was widespread in Scandinavia and helped distinguish individuals within communities. The earliest recorded instances of the name Swenson can be found in Swedish church records from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Swenson was Anders Swenson, a Swedish farmer born in the late 16th century in the province of Småland. Historical records indicate that he owned land in the village of Järeda, which was part of the larger parish of Västra Torsås.
In the 19th century, the name Swenson gained prominence with several notable individuals. Carl Swenson, born in 1857 in Västra Götaland, was a renowned Swedish painter known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various museums and galleries throughout Sweden.
Another noteworthy figure was Olof Swenson, born in 1847 in Östergötland. He was a successful entrepreneur and industrialist who established several businesses in the timber and mining industries. Swenson's enterprises played a significant role in the economic development of Sweden during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The name Swenson also gained recognition outside of Sweden through migration. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Swedish immigrants bearing the surname Swenson settled in the United States, particularly in the Midwestern states. One such individual was August Swenson, born in 1868 in Västergötland, who became a prominent figure in the Swedish-American community in Minnesota.
Another notable Swenson was Anna Swenson, born in 1859 in Jämtland, Sweden. She immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and became an influential advocate for women's rights and social reforms in the state of Wisconsin.
Throughout its history, the surname Swenson has been associated with various occupations, from farmers and artisans to entrepreneurs and professionals. Its Swedish roots and the tradition of patronymic naming have contributed to its enduring presence in both Sweden and communities with Swedish heritage around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swenson
Among Census respondents with the surname Swenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Swenson 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 Swenson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 20,737
- Two or more races2.8% · 621
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 560
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 182
- Black or African American0.4% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swenson
Swenson 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
#1,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,009
+247 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 7.80
Rank movement Down 121 places
2020
#1,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,252
-757 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 7.44
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,442 | 22,762 | 8.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,563 | 23,009 | 7.80 | +247 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 121 places |
| 2020 | #1,572 | 22,252 | 7.44 | -757 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 9 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 Swenson 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 | #1,563 | #1,572 | -0.6% |
| Count | 23,009 | 22,252 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 7.80 | 7.44 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swenson bearers went from 23,009 to 22,252 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,563 to #1,572.
FAQ
Swenson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swenson?
Name Census estimates that about 25,517 living Americans carry the surname Swenson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,432 residents.
How common is Swenson?
Swenson ranks #1,572 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,252 people with the surname Swenson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Swenson.
Has Swenson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swenson went from 23,009 recorded bearers to 22,252. That is a decrease of 757 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,563 to #1,572.
What does the Census say about the background of Swenson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) 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 Swenson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (20,737 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swenson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%), 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 Swenson (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 Swenson mean?
Son of Sven, a Scandinavian patronymic surname derived from the given name Sven, meaning "young man" or "boy." 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 Swenson (7.44 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 Swenson?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Swenson at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.