2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bergsbaken
A Scandinavian locational surname referring to a person living near a beacon or mountain signal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bergsbaken. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergsbaken 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bergsbaken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergsbaken, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergsbaken
The surname BERGSBAKEN is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Norway. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th century, derived from the Norwegian words "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "baken" meaning the back or rear side. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent mountain or hill, possibly at the back or rear side of it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BERGSBAKEN can be found in the parish records of Trondheim, Norway, dating back to the early 1500s. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions around Trondheim and Bergen during that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Olav BERGSBAKEN (1521-1589) was mentioned in the chronicles of Bergen as a respected merchant and ship owner. His descendants continued to use the surname in the following centuries.
Another early example of the name can be traced to the village of Bakken, located near the town of Flekkefjord in southern Norway. The village was situated at the back of a prominent hill, which likely contributed to the development of the surname BERGSBAKEN among its residents.
In the 18th century, a farmer named Bjørn BERGSBAKEN (1742-1819) was recorded in the land records of Voss, a municipality in western Norway. His family had owned and worked the same land for generations, further solidifying the connection between the surname and the geographical location.
During the 19th century, the industrialist and philanthropist Ingrid BERGSBAKEN (1823-1901) from Trondheim made significant contributions to the development of the city's educational institutions and social welfare programs. She was widely respected for her efforts in improving the lives of the less fortunate.
Despite its relatively limited geographic distribution, the surname BERGSBAKEN has left a notable imprint on the historical records of Norway, reflecting the close ties between family names and the unique landscapes that shaped the lives of their bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergsbaken
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergsbaken, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergsbaken 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 Bergsbaken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergsbaken
Bergsbaken 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+10 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 991 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 991 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 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 Bergsbaken 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 | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergsbaken bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bergsbaken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergsbaken?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bergsbaken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bergsbaken?
Bergsbaken ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Bergsbaken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Bergsbaken.
Has Bergsbaken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergsbaken went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergsbaken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergsbaken, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Bergsbaken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergsbaken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (1.8%). 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 Bergsbaken (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 Bergsbaken mean?
A Scandinavian locational surname referring to a person living near a beacon or mountain signal. 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 Bergsbaken (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 Americans have the surname Bergsbaken?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.