2000
#8,621
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,512
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Andresen
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of André" or "son of Andrew."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,049 Americans carry the last name Andresen. That puts it at #8,898 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Andresen 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
4.0K
1 in 84,652
Census rank
#8,898
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,531 bearers of the surname Andresen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8898th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Andresen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Andresen
The surname Andresen has its origins in Denmark, where it emerged in the medieval period as a patronymic name derived from the personal name Andreas. Andreas was a widespread name across Scandinavia and Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, stemming from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "brave."
Andresen belongs to the category of surnames known as patronymics, which were initially formed by adding the suffix "-sen" (son) or "-datter" (daughter) to a father's given name. This naming convention was prevalent in Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe, reflecting the cultural significance of familial ties and lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Andresen surname can be traced back to the late 15th century in Denmark, where a man named Jens Andresen is mentioned in historical records from the island of Funen. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name gained wider recognition and appeared in various Danish records and documents.
Notably, the Andresen surname has been associated with several prominent figures throughout history. One notable bearer was Hans Christian Andresen (1785-1846), a Danish businessman and ship-owner who played a significant role in the development of the Danish merchant fleet during the early 19th century.
Another distinguished individual was Carl Andresen (1828-1900), a Norwegian-born American artist renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the natural beauty of the American West. His works are displayed in numerous museums and art galleries across the United States.
In the literary realm, Viggo Andresen (1888-1943) was a Danish author and playwright who gained acclaim for his novels and plays exploring themes of social criticism and human relationships. His works, such as "The Bright Night" and "The Struggle for the Kingdom," were widely celebrated in Denmark during the early 20th century.
The Andresen surname has also been associated with notable figures in the field of science and academia. One such individual is Ingrid Andresen (1916-2003), a Norwegian-born American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the development of programming languages and compiler design.
Moreover, the Andresen name has been linked to various place names and geographical locations in Scandinavia. For instance, the village of Andresens Gård in Denmark likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner bearing the Andresen surname.
While the Andresen surname originated in Denmark, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and diaspora communities. Today, it can be found in various countries, although its highest concentration remains in Denmark and other Scandinavian nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Andresen
Among Census respondents with the surname Andresen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Andresen 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 Andresen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 3,164
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 145
- Two or more races3.9% · 138
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 53
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Andresen
Andresen 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
#8,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,662
+150 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 318 places
2020
#8,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,531
-131 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,621 | 3,512 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,939 | 3,662 | 1.24 | +150 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 318 places |
| 2020 | #8,898 | 3,531 | 1.18 | -131 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 41 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 Andresen 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 | #8,939 | #8,898 | 0.5% |
| Count | 3,662 | 3,531 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.18 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Andresen bearers went from 3,662 to 3,531 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,939 to #8,898.
FAQ
Andresen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Andresen?
Name Census estimates that about 4,049 living Americans carry the surname Andresen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,652 residents.
How common is Andresen?
Andresen ranks #8,898 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,531 people with the surname Andresen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,049), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Andresen.
Has Andresen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Andresen went from 3,662 recorded bearers to 3,531. That is a decrease of 131 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,939 to #8,898.
What does the Census say about the background of Andresen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Andresen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Andresen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (3,164 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Andresen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Andresen (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 Andresen mean?
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of André" or "son of Andrew." 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 Andresen (1.18 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 Andresen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.