2000
#6,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,604
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.71
Rare Last name
Arneson
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Arne," derived from the Old Norse name "Árni."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,839 Americans carry the last name Arneson. That puts it at #7,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,832 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arneson 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
4.8K
1 in 70,832
Census rank
#7,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,220 bearers of the surname Arneson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arneson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arneson
The surname Arneson has its origins in Scandinavia, specifically in Norway and Denmark. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Árni," which means "eagle" or "eagle-like." This personal name was later combined with the suffix "-son," meaning "son of," to form the patronymic surname "Arneson."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Danish Census of 1670, where the surname "Arnesen" is listed. It is likely that the spelling variation "Arneson" emerged later as the name spread and adapted to different regions.
In Norway, the name Arneson can be traced back to the late 16th century. Historical records from the region of Trøndelag mention individuals with the surname Arneson, suggesting that the name had a strong presence in that area.
The Arneson name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Hans Arneson, a Norwegian merchant who lived in the late 16th century and played a significant role in the trade between Norway and the Netherlands.
Another notable figure was Johan Arneson, a Norwegian naval officer and explorer who lived from 1768 to 1834. He was known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his contributions to mapping and charting various areas of the Arctic.
In the realm of literature, Bjørnstjerne Arneson (1838-1910) was a prominent Norwegian playwright and novelist. He is remembered for his works that explored themes of rural life and social issues in Norway during the late 19th century.
Moving to the United States, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname Arneson was Dave Arneson (1947-2009), a game designer and writer who co-created the iconic role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. His contributions to the world of tabletop gaming and role-playing games are widely recognized.
Another notable American with this surname was Douglas Arneson (1922-2006), a respected lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota from 1972 to 1987.
While the surname Arneson has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant Scandinavian immigration. The name continues to carry a rich history and a connection to its Norse origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arneson
Among Census respondents with the surname Arneson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Arneson 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 Arneson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 3,913
- Two or more races2.8% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 50
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arneson
Arneson 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
#7,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,665
+61 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Down 423 places
2020
#7,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,220
-445 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 414 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,748 | 4,604 | 1.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,171 | 4,665 | 1.58 | +61 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 423 places |
| 2020 | #7,585 | 4,220 | 1.41 | -445 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 414 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 Arneson 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 | #7,171 | #7,585 | -5.8% |
| Count | 4,665 | 4,220 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.41 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arneson bearers went from 4,665 to 4,220 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 414 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,171 to #7,585.
FAQ
Arneson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arneson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,839 living Americans carry the surname Arneson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,832 residents.
How common is Arneson?
Arneson ranks #7,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 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 4,220 people with the surname Arneson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,839), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 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 Arneson.
Has Arneson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arneson went from 4,665 recorded bearers to 4,220. That is a decrease of 445 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,171 to #7,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Arneson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arneson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Arneson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (3,913 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arneson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Arneson (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 Arneson mean?
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Arne," derived from the Old Norse name "Árni." 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 Arneson (1.41 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 Arneson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.