2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bollerud
A locational surname originating from a farmstead near an ancient forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bollerud. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bollerud 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bollerud in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bollerud, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bollerud
The surname Bollerud has its origins in Norway, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "bolli," meaning "bowl," and "ruð," meaning "clearing" or "field." This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name referring to a farm or homestead located in a clearing where bowls or dishes were made.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian historical documents from the Middle Ages. An entry dated 1358 mentions a person named Thorstein Bollerud, who was likely from the Oppland region of eastern Norway.
In the 16th century, the surname is found in various records from the Gudbrandsdalen valley in Oppland. A notable figure from this period was Einar Bollerud (c. 1520-1590), a prosperous farmer and local leader who played a role in the Norwegian Reformation.
The name Bollerud has also been associated with the historic farm Bollerudgarden, located in the municipality of Gjøvik in Oppland. This farm dates back to at least the 17th century and was a prominent estate in the region.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Bollerud made significant contributions. Hans Bollerud (1818-1890) was a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament), while Nils Bollerud (1842-1922) was a respected teacher and headmaster in Oppland.
Another notable figure was Arne Bollerud (1879-1964), a Norwegian-American engineer and inventor who held numerous patents related to aircraft design and construction. He worked for companies like Boeing and was involved in the development of early passenger planes.
While the surname Bollerud is relatively uncommon outside of Norway, it has been carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields throughout history, reflecting the rich heritage and traditions of the Oppland region from which the name originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bollerud
Among Census respondents with the surname Bollerud, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bollerud 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 Bollerud surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bollerud
Bollerud 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,166 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 16,166 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Bollerud 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bollerud bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bollerud surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bollerud?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bollerud. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bollerud?
Bollerud ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Bollerud. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Bollerud.
Has Bollerud become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bollerud went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bollerud?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bollerud, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Bollerud in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bollerud appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Bollerud (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 Bollerud mean?
A locational surname originating from a farmstead near an ancient forest. 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 Bollerud (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 Bollerud?
Want to know how many people have the surname Bollerud? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.