Find out how popular the last name Backstrom is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Backstrom.

Backstrom, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Backstrom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Backstrom in America

Backstrom is the 12683rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Backstrom surname appeared 2,435 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Backstrom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Backstrom to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Backstrom

The surname Backstrom is of Swedish origin, derived from the elements 'bak' meaning 'back' and 'strom' meaning 'stream' or 'current'. It likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a stream that flowed in a backward direction or formed a bend.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 16th century in Sweden. In 1594, a man named Nils Backstrom was documented in the parish records of Norra Sandsjö, Småland. Another early bearer was Johan Backstrom, born in 1612 in Östergötland.

In the 17th century, the Backstrom name appeared in various Swedish church records and tax rolls. For instance, a man named Olof Backstrom was recorded in the Västra Husby parish in Östergötland in 1645.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Carl Backstrom, a Swedish military officer born in 1695 in Kalmar. He served in the Kalmar Regiment and participated in the Great Northern War against Russia.

Another prominent bearer was Johan Backstrom, a Swedish botanist and explorer born in 1744 in Västergötland. He took part in several expeditions to the Arctic regions and made significant contributions to the study of Arctic flora.

In the 19th century, Nils Backstrom, born in 1813 in Småland, was a renowned Swedish architect responsible for designing several buildings in Stockholm, including the Stockholm City Theatre.

The name Backstrom has also been found in Norway, likely due to migration from Sweden. One example is Anders Backstrom, a Norwegian politician and farmer born in 1823 in Nordland. He served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament in the late 19th century.

While the surname has maintained its original spelling in Sweden and Norway, some variations such as Backström and Bäckström have also emerged over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Backstrom

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Backstrom.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Backstrom was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Backstrom has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Backstrom was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Backstrom, please contact us.

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