2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Carlbom
A Swedish surname meaning "Carl's child" or "son of Carl."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Carlbom. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carlbom 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Carlbom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlbom, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carlbom
The surname CARLBOM is of Swedish origin, and it can be traced back to the 18th century. The name is derived from the Swedish words "karl," meaning "man" or "farmer," and "bom," which translates to "beam" or "log." Originally, the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who worked with logs or beams, perhaps in the construction or forestry industries.
The earliest recorded instances of the CARLBOM surname come from parish records and census data from various regions of Sweden, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this name was Anders Carlbom, born in 1756 in the village of Östra Eneby, Östergötland County.
In the 19th century, the name CARLBOM began to appear in Swedish emigration records, as many individuals with this surname left their homeland and settled in other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this period was Johan Carlbom (1805-1885), a Swedish-American pioneer and farmer who settled in Illinois.
Another prominent individual with the CARLBOM surname was Gustaf Carlbom (1861-1933), a Swedish architect and civil engineer who was responsible for designing several notable buildings and structures in Stockholm, including the Stockholm City Hall and the Stockholm Public Library.
In the 20th century, the name CARLBOM gained further recognition through the achievements of individuals like Nils Carlbom (1903-1981), a Swedish politician and writer who served as a member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) and authored several books on political and social issues.
One of the most famous bearers of the CARLBOM surname in modern times is Tomas Carlbom (born 1959), a Swedish film director and screenwriter known for his work on various television series and feature films, including the critically acclaimed "The Hunters" (1996) and "The Rocking Horse" (2010).
While these are just a few examples, the CARLBOM surname has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout Sweden and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carlbom
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlbom, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carlbom 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 Carlbom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino15.5% · 16
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carlbom
Carlbom 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,862 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 Carlbom 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 | #156,044 | #154,182 | 1.2% |
| Count | 104 | 103 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carlbom bearers went from 104 to 103 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,182.
FAQ
Carlbom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carlbom?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Carlbom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Carlbom?
Carlbom ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Carlbom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Carlbom.
Has Carlbom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carlbom went from 104 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Carlbom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlbom, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Carlbom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carlbom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Hispanic (15.5%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Carlbom (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 Carlbom mean?
A Swedish surname meaning "Carl's child" or "son of Carl." 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 Carlbom (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 have the surname Carlbom?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.