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

Alvstad, 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 Alvstad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alvstad in America

Alvstad is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alvstad surname appeared 115 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 Alvstad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alvstad 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 Alvstad

The surname Alvstad is of Swedish origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse words "alv" meaning "river" and "stadr" meaning "place" or "homestead." This suggests that the name originally referred to a settlement or homestead located near a river or stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Alvstad can be found in historical records from the 16th century in the region of Värmland, located in west-central Sweden. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Johan Alvstad, a farmer born in the village of Årjäng, Värmland, in 1572.

The name Alvstad is closely tied to the geographical area of Värmland, where several villages and localities bear variations of this name, such as Alvstadsäter and Alvstadsvik. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its original meaning of "river homestead."

In the 17th century, the Alvstad name appears in various church records and tax registers from the Värmland region. Notable individuals from this era include Nils Alvstad, a landowner born in 1632, and Karin Alvstad, born in 1658, who is documented as one of the earliest female landowners in the area.

As the centuries progressed, the Alvstad surname spread beyond Värmland to other parts of Sweden, and a few individuals with this name achieved notable status. Erik Alvstad (1807-1879) was a respected educator and author who published several works on Swedish grammar and language instruction. Ingrid Alvstad (1876-1962) was a pioneering female journalist and activist who fought for women's rights and suffrage in Sweden.

Other historical figures bearing the Alvstad name include Carl Alvstad (1892-1976), a successful businessman and industrialist who founded a prominent manufacturing company, and Gustav Alvstad (1918-2001), a celebrated artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the Swedish countryside.

Throughout its history, the surname Alvstad has remained relatively uncommon, but its longevity and connections to specific regions of Sweden have solidified its place as a distinctly Swedish family name with deep roots in the country's cultural and linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alvstad

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

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 Alvstad 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 Alvstad 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 Alvstad was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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