2000
#11,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,527
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Berggren
A Swedish topographic surname derived from the words berg, meaning "mountain," and gren, meaning "branch."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,791 Americans carry the last name Berggren. That puts it at #12,207 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,807 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berggren 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
2.8K
1 in 122,807
Census rank
#12,207
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,434 bearers of the surname Berggren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12207th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berggren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berggren
The surname BERGGREN is of Swedish origin, derived from the Old Norse words "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "gren" meaning branch or twig. It likely originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a mountain or hill covered with trees or bushes.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century in Sweden, with spellings such as "Berggren" and "Berggren." One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Nils Berggren, born around 1550 in Värmland, Sweden.
In the 17th century, the BERGGREN name appeared in several Swedish parish records and census documents, indicating its widespread use across various regions of the country, particularly in rural areas.
The name BERGGREN is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is Johan Berggren, a Swedish botanist and explorer born in 1790, who conducted extensive research on the flora of southern Africa and contributed significantly to the field of botany.
Another prominent figure was Carl August Berggren, a Swedish mathematician and astronomer born in 1813, who made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of comet orbits.
In the realm of literature, Hjalmar Berggren was a Swedish author and poet born in 1883, known for his works exploring themes of nature, rural life, and the Swedish countryside.
Additionally, the name BERGGREN has been associated with several military figures, such as Axel Berggren, a Swedish general and military strategist born in 1841, who played a crucial role in the modernization of the Swedish armed forces in the late 19th century.
It's worth noting that the BERGGREN surname has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, likely due to migration and cultural exchange between the Nordic regions throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berggren
Among Census respondents with the surname Berggren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Berggren 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 Berggren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 2,277
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 78
- Two or more races2.1% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berggren
Berggren 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
#12,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,535
+8 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 832 places
2020
#12,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,434
-101 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 62 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,437 | 2,527 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,269 | 2,535 | 0.86 | +8 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 832 places |
| 2020 | #12,207 | 2,434 | 0.81 | -101 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 62 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 Berggren 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 | #12,269 | #12,207 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,535 | 2,434 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.81 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berggren bearers went from 2,535 to 2,434 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 62 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,269 to #12,207.
FAQ
Berggren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berggren?
Name Census estimates that about 2,791 living Americans carry the surname Berggren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,807 residents.
How common is Berggren?
Berggren ranks #12,207 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,434 people with the surname Berggren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,791), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Berggren.
Has Berggren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berggren went from 2,535 recorded bearers to 2,434. That is a decrease of 101 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,269 to #12,207.
What does the Census say about the background of Berggren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berggren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Berggren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (2,277 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berggren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Berggren (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 Berggren mean?
A Swedish topographic surname derived from the words berg, meaning "mountain," and gren, meaning "branch." 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 Berggren (0.81 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 Americans have the surname Berggren?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.