2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Beskow
A Swedish surname likely derived from a place name or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Beskow. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beskow 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Beskow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beskow, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beskow
The surname Beskow has its origins in Sweden, and can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Swedish word "beskogher," which means "wooded" or "forested." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or in a heavily wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beskow can be found in the Swedish regional law codes, known as the "landskapslagar," which were compiled in the 13th and 14th centuries. These law codes often included lists of individuals and their surnames, providing valuable insights into the origins and distribution of various names across Sweden.
In the 17th century, the Beskow name appears in the records of the Swedish church, which meticulously documented births, marriages, and deaths. Notable individuals from this period include Johan Beskow (1638-1703), a Swedish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Linköping.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several prominent Beskows, including Carl Gustaf Beskow (1720-1793), a Swedish military officer and nobleman who served as the Governor of Östergötland County. His son, Johan Carl Beskow (1758-1815), was a Swedish politician and member of the Swedish Riksdag (parliament).
In the 19th century, the Beskow name gained further recognition through the works of Elsa Beskow (1874-1953), a renowned Swedish author and illustrator of children's books. Her books, such as "Peter and Lena," "The Story of the Little Old Woman," and "Children of the Meadow Village," have become classics in Swedish literature and have been translated into numerous languages.
Another notable figure from this period is Carl Arvid Beskow (1854-1925), a Swedish geologist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the study of Scandinavian geology and mineralogy.
The 20th century saw the continuation of the Beskow legacy, with individuals like Gunnar Beskow (1901-1989), a Swedish mathematician and professor at Uppsala University, and Bengt Beskow (1909-1992), a Swedish artist and illustrator known for his work in children's books and magazine illustrations.
Overall, the surname Beskow has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the forested landscapes of Sweden. While the name has evolved over time, its connection to the natural environment and its association with notable figures in various fields have remained a consistent thread throughout its long and storied past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beskow
Among Census respondents with the surname Beskow, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Beskow 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 Beskow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beskow
Beskow 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,884 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,884 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,943 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 Beskow 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 | #137,327 | #144,270 | -5.1% |
| Count | 122 | 117 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beskow bearers went from 122 to 117 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,943 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #144,270.
FAQ
Beskow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beskow?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Beskow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Beskow?
Beskow ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Beskow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Beskow.
Has Beskow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beskow went from 122 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Beskow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beskow, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Beskow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beskow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Beskow (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 Beskow mean?
A Swedish surname likely derived from a place name or topographic feature. 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 Beskow (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 people are called Beskow?
See how many Americans have the surname Beskow on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.