2000
#40,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 509
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Aaberg
Derived from a place name meaning "river mountain" in Norwegian or Danish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 550 Americans carry the last name Aaberg. That puts it at #47,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 623,190 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aaberg 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
550
1 in 623,190
Census rank
#47,612
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
480
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 480 bearers of the surname Aaberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 47612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aaberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aaberg
The surname Aaberg has its origins in Scandinavia, specifically in Norway. It is believed to have emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from a combination of the old Norse words "aar" meaning "river" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill". This suggests that the name may have originated from a location near a river and a mountain or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aaberg can be found in the Danish census records of the late 16th century. In these records, the name is spelled as "Åberg" or "Aaberg". The earliest known individual with this surname was Hans Aaberg, who was born in the village of Trondheim, Norway, in 1512.
Historically, the name Aaberg has been associated with several notable figures. In the 17th century, there was a Norwegian sea captain named Olav Aaberg, who was renowned for his explorations in the Arctic regions. Another prominent individual was the Swedish philosopher and theologian, Karl Aaberg, who lived from 1685 to 1758 and made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics.
In the 19th century, the name Aaberg gained prominence with the birth of the Norwegian painter, Christian Aaberg (1823-1892). He was known for his landscapes and portraits depicting the natural beauty of Norway. Another notable figure from this period was the Swedish mathematician and astronomer, Anders Aaberg (1845-1916), who made important discoveries in celestial mechanics.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Aaberg was the Norwegian author and playwright, Henrik Aaberg (1872-1945). His works, which often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class, were widely acclaimed and contributed significantly to the development of Norwegian literature.
The surname Aaberg has also been associated with several place names in Scandinavia. For instance, there is a small village called Aabergsmoen in Norway, which is believed to have been named after an early settler with the Aaberg surname. Additionally, there are several farms and estates in Sweden and Denmark that bear the name Aaberg or variations of it, such as Åbergsgården and Aabjerggård.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aaberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Aaberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Aaberg 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 Aaberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 436
- Two or more races5.2% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aaberg
Aaberg 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
#45,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 469
-40 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 5,104 places
2020
#47,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 480
+11 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,043 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #40,465 | 509 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,569 | 469 | 0.16 | -40 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 5,104 places |
| 2020 | #47,612 | 480 | 0.16 | +11 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 2,043 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 Aaberg 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 | #45,569 | #47,612 | -4.5% |
| Count | 469 | 480 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aaberg bearers went from 469 to 480 (+2.3% change). The surname moved down 2,043 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,569 to #47,612.
FAQ
Aaberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aaberg?
Name Census estimates that about 550 living Americans carry the surname Aaberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 623,190 residents.
How common is Aaberg?
Aaberg ranks #47,612 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 480 people with the surname Aaberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (550), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Aaberg.
Has Aaberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aaberg went from 469 recorded bearers to 480. That is an increase of 11 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,569 to #47,612.
What does the Census say about the background of Aaberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aaberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Aaberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aaberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (5.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Aaberg (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 Aaberg mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "river mountain" in Norwegian or Danish. 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 Aaberg (0.16 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 surname Aaberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.