2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aspelin
A Swedish surname derived from the word 'asp', meaning aspen tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Aspelin. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aspelin 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Aspelin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aspelin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aspelin
The surname Aspelin is of Swedish origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have originated from the village of Aspeln, located in the province of Västergötland, Sweden. The word "asp" in Swedish refers to the aspen tree, suggesting that the name may have been derived from someone who lived near or worked with aspen trees.
One of the earliest documented records of the Aspelin surname can be found in the Swedish Census Book of 1540, where a man named Erik Aspelin was listed as a resident of the town of Lidköping, Västergötland. This record provides evidence of the name's existence in the region during the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Aspelin family gained prominence when Johan Aspelin (1624-1692) became a prominent Swedish politician and served as the Governor of Västmanland. He was a respected figure in his time and played a significant role in the administration of the province.
Another notable individual with the Aspelin surname was Carl Gustaf Aspelin (1771-1852), a Swedish military officer who served in the Swedish Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks and achieved the rank of Major General, distinguishing himself in several battles.
In the field of academia, Gustaf Aspelin (1842-1895) was a renowned Finnish archaeologist and historian. He made significant contributions to the study of Finnish prehistory and was instrumental in establishing the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki.
One of the earliest known emigrations of the Aspelin family to the United States occurred in the mid-19th century, when Anders Aspelin (1825-1901) and his wife, Ingrid, left Sweden and settled in Minnesota, where they became prominent members of the local Swedish community.
While the Aspelin surname is not as common as some other Swedish names, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, the military, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aspelin
Among Census respondents with the surname Aspelin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Aspelin 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 Aspelin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aspelin
Aspelin 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,559 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,559 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Aspelin 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aspelin bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Aspelin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aspelin?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Aspelin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Aspelin?
Aspelin ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Aspelin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Aspelin.
Has Aspelin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aspelin went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Aspelin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aspelin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Aspelin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aspelin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Aspelin (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 Aspelin mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the word 'asp', meaning aspen tree. 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 Aspelin (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 many people have the surname Aspelin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.