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

Bakken, 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 Bakken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bakken in America

Bakken is the 7870th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bakken surname appeared 4,205 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 Bakken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bakken 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 Bakken

The surname Bakken is of Norwegian origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse word "bakki," which means "ridge" or "hill." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Bakken can be found in medieval Norwegian records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Tord Bakken, a Norwegian landowner who lived in the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name Bakken appeared in various Norwegian church records and census documents. During this period, the spelling of the name sometimes varied, with variations such as "Bakkene" and "Bakkene."

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Bakken throughout history. One such person was Hans Bakken (1620-1694), a Norwegian farmer and landowner who played a significant role in the development of agriculture in his region.

Another notable bearer of the name was Ingrid Bakken (1785-1857), a Norwegian painter and artist who was renowned for her landscape paintings depicting the Norwegian countryside.

In the 19th century, the name Bakken appeared in various Norwegian emigration records, as many Norwegians bearing this surname left their homeland to settle in other parts of the world, particularly in North America.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Bakken was Earl Bakken (1924-2022), an American engineer and inventor who is credited with the development of the first wearable, battery-powered pacemaker. He founded Medtronic, a leading medical technology company.

Another notable individual was Sigurd Bakken (1909-1992), a Norwegian-American author and scholar who wrote extensively on Norwegian-American history and culture. He was also a prominent figure in the preservation of Norwegian folk traditions in the United States.

Throughout its history, the surname Bakken has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, artists, inventors, and scholars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bakken

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

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 Bakken 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 Bakken 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 Bakken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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