2000
#7,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,972
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Bakken
A Norwegian habitational surname derived from any of several farmsteads, likely referring to a place on a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,549 Americans carry the last name Bakken. That puts it at #8,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bakken 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
4.5K
1 in 75,347
Census rank
#8,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,967 bearers of the surname Bakken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bakken
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bakken 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 Bakken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,686
- Two or more races3.4% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bakken
Bakken 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
#7,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,205
+233 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 149 places
2020
#8,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,967
-238 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 140 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,721 | 3,972 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,870 | 4,205 | 1.43 | +233 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 149 places |
| 2020 | #8,010 | 3,967 | 1.33 | -238 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 140 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 Bakken 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 | #7,870 | #8,010 | -1.8% |
| Count | 4,205 | 3,967 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.33 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bakken bearers went from 4,205 to 3,967 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 140 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,870 to #8,010.
FAQ
Bakken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bakken?
Name Census estimates that about 4,549 living Americans carry the surname Bakken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,347 residents.
How common is Bakken?
Bakken ranks #8,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,967 people with the surname Bakken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,549), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Bakken.
Has Bakken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bakken went from 4,205 recorded bearers to 3,967. That is a decrease of 238 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,870 to #8,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Bakken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bakken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bakken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bakken (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 Bakken mean?
A Norwegian habitational surname derived from any of several farmsteads, likely referring to a place on a hill. 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 Bakken (1.33 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 Bakken?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.