Find out how popular the last name Ahlgren is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ahlgren.

Ahlgren, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ahlgren surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ahlgren in America

Ahlgren is the 23354th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ahlgren surname appeared 1,090 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ahlgren.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ahlgren to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ahlgren

The surname Ahlgren is of Swedish origin and dates back to the 17th century. It is a locative name, derived from the Swedish word 'ahl', meaning 'alder tree', and 'gren', meaning 'branch'. This suggests that the name originated as a place name, likely referring to a location where alder trees grew.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ahlgren can be found in the Swedish church records from the late 1600s, where it appears as 'Ahlgreen' or 'Ahlgren'. During this time, spelling variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The name Ahlgren can be traced back to various regions of Sweden, including Småland, Östergötland, and Västergötland. These areas were known for their dense forests and alder tree populations, which may have contributed to the origin of the name.

In the 18th century, Johan Ahlgren (1730-1801), a Swedish theologian and author, is recorded as having used the surname. Another notable figure with this name was Carl Ahlgren (1799-1877), a Swedish painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

During the 19th century, the name Ahlgren began to spread beyond Sweden as individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. One such example is Gustaf Ahlgren (1824-1905), a Swedish-American inventor and engineer who contributed to the development of the early telephone system.

In the early 20th century, the Swedish writer and journalist Vilhelm Ahlgren (1887-1949) gained recognition for his works, including novels and short stories depicting rural life in Sweden.

Another prominent individual with the surname Ahlgren was Olof Ahlgren (1915-1997), a Swedish entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the successful furniture company IKEA, which became a global brand.

While the surname Ahlgren has its roots in Sweden, it has since spread to other countries, particularly through immigration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the alder tree branches that once grew in the forests of Sweden, giving rise to this distinctive locative surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ahlgren

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ahlgren.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ahlgren was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ahlgren has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ahlgren was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ahlgren, please contact us.

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