2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Bjelde
A Norwegian surname derived from a term referring to a barn or stable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Bjelde. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bjelde 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Bjelde in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bjelde, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bjelde
The surname Bjelde has its origins in Norway, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "bjalla," meaning "bell," and is thought to have been an occupational name for a bell-ringer or someone associated with the church.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. In 1347, a man named Thorstein Bjelde is mentioned as a witness to a land transfer in the town of Tønsberg.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears in various parish records and census documents across Norway, particularly in the regions of Østfold, Vestfold, and Telemark. Some notable variations of the spelling include Bielde, Bielle, and Bjelke.
In the 18th century, the Bjelde family established itself in the town of Larvik, where several members worked as merchants and ship owners. One prominent figure from this era was Hans Bjelde (1733-1801), a successful businessman and landowner.
As the name spread across Norway, it also became associated with certain place names. For example, the farm Bjeldestad in Vestfold County is believed to have derived its name from the Bjelde family who once owned the land.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bjelde include:
1. Peder Bjelde (1657-1724), a Norwegian priest and author who served as the rector of the Cathedral School in Trondheim.
2. Inger Marie Bjelde (1785-1859), a Norwegian folk artist and painter known for her detailed embroidery and tapestries.
3. Jens Bjelde (1832-1901), a Norwegian politician and farmer who served as a member of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament.
4. Olav Bjelde (1873-1942), a Norwegian engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of shipbuilding and maritime technology.
5. Ingrid Bjelde (1920-2003), a Norwegian writer and children's book author who received numerous awards and recognition for her work.
While the surname Bjelde is relatively uncommon outside of Norway, it has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the country's linguistic and occupational traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bjelde
Among Census respondents with the surname Bjelde, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bjelde 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 Bjelde surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 84
- Two or more races7.8% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bjelde
Bjelde appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,479 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 2,479 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 Bjelde 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 | #157,234 | #154,755 | 1.6% |
| Count | 103 | 102 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bjelde bearers went from 103 to 102 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 2,479 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #154,755.
FAQ
Bjelde surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bjelde?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Bjelde. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Bjelde?
Bjelde ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Bjelde. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bjelde.
Has Bjelde become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bjelde went from 103 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Bjelde?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bjelde, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Bjelde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bjelde appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Two or More Races (7.8%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Bjelde (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 Bjelde mean?
A Norwegian surname derived from a term referring to a barn or stable. 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 Bjelde (0.03 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 Bjelde?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.