2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alvestad
A Norwegian locational surname meaning "valley homestead".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Alvestad. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alvestad 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Alvestad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alvestad, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alvestad
The surname Alvestad originates from Norway, tracing its roots back to the 17th century. It is believed to have been derived from the old Norse words "alfr" meaning "elf" and "stadr" meaning "place" or "location." This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific place or region associated with elves or mythical creatures in Norse folklore.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Alvestad name can be found in the parish records of Nordfjord, a region located in the western part of Norway. These records, dating back to the late 1600s, mention several families bearing the Alvestad surname, indicating their presence in the area during that time period.
In the 19th century, there are references to an Alvestad family residing in the village of Stryn, situated in the Nordfjord region. This family is believed to have played a significant role in the local community, with some members holding positions of influence and authority.
Historically, the Alvestad name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Olav Alvestad, a renowned Norwegian artist born in 1875 in Stryn. Alvestad's works, which primarily consisted of landscape paintings, captured the beauty and grandeur of the Norwegian countryside, earning him recognition both within Norway and abroad.
Another individual of note was Ingrid Alvestad, a Norwegian writer and poet who lived from 1892 to 1967. Alvestad's literary works, which often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, were celebrated for their poetic depth and emotional resonance.
In the field of academia, Knut Alvestad, born in 1920, made significant contributions as a professor of linguistics at the University of Oslo. His research focused on the study of Norwegian dialects and their historical development, shedding light on the rich linguistic diversity within Norway.
The Alvestad surname has also been associated with notable figures in other fields, such as Erik Alvestad, a successful businessman and philanthropist who made his mark in the early 20th century, and Gunhild Alvestad, a pioneering Norwegian feminist and advocate for women's rights, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Alvestad name has its roots firmly planted in Norway, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have emigrated from their homeland over the centuries. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain deeply intertwined with the rugged landscapes and rich cultural traditions of Norway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alvestad
Among Census respondents with the surname Alvestad, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Alvestad 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 Alvestad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alvestad
Alvestad 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,590 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,099 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 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,590 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,099 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 Alvestad 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 | #148,347 | #149,446 | -0.7% |
| Count | 111 | 110 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alvestad bearers went from 111 to 110 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #149,446.
FAQ
Alvestad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alvestad?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Alvestad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Alvestad?
Alvestad ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Alvestad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Alvestad.
Has Alvestad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alvestad went from 111 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Alvestad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alvestad, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Alvestad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alvestad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Alvestad (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 Alvestad mean?
A Norwegian locational surname meaning "valley homestead". 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 Alvestad (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 surname Alvestad?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.