2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Amonson
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Amon or Ammon of Hebrew origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Amonson. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amonson 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Amonson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amonson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amonson
The surname Amonson is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, likely in Norway or Sweden. It is thought to have derived from the Old Norse personal name "Amon," which itself may have had its roots in the Germanic name element "aman," meaning "work" or "labor."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Amonson can be found in the Norwegian Census Records of 1801, where it appears as "Amonsen." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been a patronymic, meaning "son of Amon."
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient manuscripts or chronicles, some historians believe that it may have been present in certain Viking settlements or communities during the 9th or 10th centuries.
In terms of notable individuals bearing the Amonson name, one figure of historical significance is Hans Amonson (1857-1932), a Norwegian-American artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture. He was born in Oslo, Norway, and later immigrated to the United States, where he became a prominent figure in the Chicago art scene.
Another notable Amonson was Ingrid Amonson (1893-1976), a Swedish-American author and translator. She was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, and later moved to the United States, where she worked as a translator for various publishing houses and authored several books on Scandinavian culture and literature.
In the field of science, one can mention the contributions of Eric Amonson (1917-2003), an American biochemist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He made significant advancements in the study of enzyme kinetics and catalysis.
Moving to the realm of sports, Bjorn Amonson (1946-2019) was a Norwegian ice hockey player and coach. He represented Norway in several international tournaments and later served as the head coach of the Norwegian national team.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Sigrid Amonson (1889-1967), a Norwegian-American educator and activist. She was born in Trondheim, Norway, and later immigrated to the United States, where she became a prominent advocate for women's rights and educational reforms.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Amonson who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage associated with this Scandinavian name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amonson
Among Census respondents with the surname Amonson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Amonson 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 Amonson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 108
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amonson
Amonson 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-9 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 19,691 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+13 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,675 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 19,691 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 12,675 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 Amonson 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 | #158,432 | #145,757 | 8.0% |
| Count | 102 | 115 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amonson bearers went from 102 to 115 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 12,675 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,757.
FAQ
Amonson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amonson?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Amonson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Amonson?
Amonson ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Amonson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Amonson.
Has Amonson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amonson went from 102 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 13 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Amonson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amonson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (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 Amonson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amonson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Black (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 Amonson (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 Amonson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Amon or Ammon of Hebrew origin. 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 Amonson (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 common is the surname Amonson?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Amonson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.