Find out how popular the last name Bjork is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bjork.

Bjork, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bjork surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bjork in America

Bjork is the 9767th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bjork surname appeared 3,317 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bjork.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bjork to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bjork

The surname Bjork originates from Sweden and has its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "bjork," meaning "birch tree." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent birch tree or a forest of birch trees.

In medieval Sweden, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or geographical locations. The name Bjork was likely an early descriptive surname used to identify a person's place of residence or the area they were from.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bjork can be found in the Swedish census records from the late 16th century. In 1592, a man named Olof Bjork was documented as living in the village of Vastervik, located in the Kalmar County of southeastern Sweden.

The name Bjork has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, Johan Bjork (1647-1718) was a Swedish botanist and professor at the University of Uppsala. He made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy and was a mentor to the renowned naturalist Carl Linnaeus.

Another prominent figure with the surname Bjork was Tomas Bjork (1808-1870), a Swedish poet and playwright. He is best known for his romantic poetry and plays that explored themes of love, nature, and Swedish identity.

In the 20th century, Ingrid Bjork (1913-2000) was a Swedish actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows. She is particularly remembered for her roles in the 1949 film "Hets" and the 1960s television series "Nöjesmaskinen."

More recently, the Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk Guðmundsdóttir, known mononymously as Björk, has brought international recognition to the surname. Born in 1965, she is widely celebrated for her innovative and eclectic music, which blends various genres and influences.

While the surname Bjork has its origins in Sweden, it has since spread to other parts of Scandinavia and beyond. Variations of the name include Bjørk, Björk, and Bjørke, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where it is found.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bjork

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bjork.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bjork was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bjork has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bjork was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bjork, please contact us.

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