2000
#954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,508
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.42
Uncommon Last name
Andersen
Son of Anders, a Scandinavian patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,911 Americans carry the last name Andersen. That puts it at #936 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Andersen 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Andersen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
42K
1 in 8,178
Census rank
#936
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
37K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,548 bearers of the surname Andersen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 936th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Andersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Andersen
The surname Andersen is of Scandinavian origin, specifically Danish and Norwegian. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally derived from the father's given name, Anders, which is a form of the biblical name Andrew. The name Andrew derives from the Greek word "andros," meaning man or warrior.
In the Middle Ages, surnames were not commonly used in Scandinavia, and people were typically identified by their given name, their father's name, and sometimes a descriptive element or location. Andersen emerged as a surname when it became necessary to distinguish individuals with the same given name, and the patronymic -sen was added to the father's name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Andersen can be found in the Danish Census Book from the 16th century, where several individuals with the name are listed. The name also appears in various Norwegian church records and legal documents from the same period.
In Denmark, the Andersen surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous is Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the celebrated Danish author and writer of beloved fairy tales such as "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Mermaid."
Another prominent Danish Andersen was Carl Christian Andersen (1793-1877), a noted historian and writer who published works on Danish history and culture. In the field of science, Carl Andersen (1904-1998) was a Danish physicist who made significant contributions to the study of nuclear physics and particle accelerators.
In Norway, the Andersen surname is also well-represented. One notable Norwegian Andersen was Rasmus Bjørn Andersen (1801-1883), a pioneering educator and advocate for public education who established several schools and teacher training programs throughout the country.
Hans Nielsen Andersen (1852-1938) was a Norwegian businessman and politician who served as the Minister of Finance and later as the Prime Minister of Norway from 1910 to 1913. He played a significant role in shaping Norway's economic policies in the early 20th century.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the Andersen surname, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in Scandinavian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Andersen
Among Census respondents with the surname Andersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Andersen 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 Andersen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 33,167
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,400
- Two or more races3.1% · 1,137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 340
- Black or African American0.9% · 337
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 167
Timeline
Historical Census data for Andersen
Andersen 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
#963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,150
+2,642 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 12.26
Rank movement Down 9 places
2020
#936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,548
+398 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 12.23
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #954 | 33,508 | 12.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #963 | 36,150 | 12.26 | +2,642 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 9 places |
| 2020 | #936 | 36,548 | 12.23 | +398 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 27 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 Andersen 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 | #963 | #936 | 2.8% |
| Count | 36,150 | 36,548 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 12.26 | 12.23 | -0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Andersen bearers went from 36,150 to 36,548 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #963 to #936.
FAQ
Andersen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Andersen?
Name Census estimates that about 41,911 living Americans carry the surname Andersen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,178 residents.
How common is Andersen?
Andersen ranks #936 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,548 people with the surname Andersen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,911), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Andersen.
Has Andersen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Andersen went from 36,150 recorded bearers to 36,548. That is an increase of 398 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #963 to #936.
What does the Census say about the background of Andersen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Andersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Andersen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (33,167 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Andersen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Andersen (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 Andersen mean?
Son of Anders, a Scandinavian patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "brave." 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 Andersen (12.23 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 share the surname Andersen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.