2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alfstad
A Swedish place name referring to an elf's homestead or dwelling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Alfstad. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alfstad 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Alfstad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alfstad
The surname ALFSTAD is a locational name that originated in Norway during the medieval period. It derives from a farmstead called Alfstad, which translates to "the farm by the river". This place name was composed of the Old Norse words "alfr" meaning river and "stadr" meaning farm or homestead.
ALFSTAD was initially found in the western coastal regions of Norway, particularly in areas around present-day Bergen and Stavanger. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century in Norwegian tax records and census documents from that era.
In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Eirik Alfstad, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Alfstad near Haugesund. Historical records indicate that he was involved in a land dispute with a neighboring lord in 1342.
Another early example is Ragnhild Alfstad, a woman mentioned in a 1387 court record from the town of Sotra, just outside of Bergen. She was involved in a legal case regarding the inheritance of a farmstead.
During the 16th century, the spelling variations of ALFSTAD began to emerge, such as Alfstadius, Alffstadius, and Alfstadter. These Latinized forms were commonly used by scholars and clergy in that era.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer was Hans Alfstad (1602-1678), a Norwegian merchant and ship owner from Stavanger. Historical records indicate that he was involved in the lucrative trade of exporting timber and fish to other European countries.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Ingrid Alfstad (1721-1792), a Norwegian landowner and businesswoman from the village of Alfstad near Haugesund. She was known for her successful management of several farms and her involvement in local politics.
While ALFSTAD originated in Norway, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, most historical references and prominent bearers of this surname can be traced back to its Norwegian roots and the original place name it derived from.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alfstad
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Alfstad 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 Alfstad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alfstad
Alfstad 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+11 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,453 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,453 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 8,917 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 Alfstad 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 | #138,304 | #147,221 | -6.4% |
| Count | 121 | 113 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alfstad bearers went from 121 to 113 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 8,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #147,221.
FAQ
Alfstad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alfstad?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Alfstad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Alfstad?
Alfstad ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Alfstad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Alfstad.
Has Alfstad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alfstad went from 121 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Alfstad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Alfstad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alfstad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Alfstad (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 Alfstad mean?
A Swedish place name referring to an elf's homestead or dwelling. 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 Alfstad (0.04 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 Alfstad?
Want to know how many people have the last name Alfstad? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.