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

Christiansen, 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 Christiansen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Christiansen in America

Christiansen is the 1854th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Christiansen surname appeared 19,340 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Christiansen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Christiansen 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 Christiansen

The surname Christiansen originated in Denmark and is derived from the personal name Christian, which comes from the Greek word "Christos" meaning "anointed one" or "Christ". The addition of the suffix "-sen" denotes "son of" in Danish, making Christiansen mean "son of Christian".

During the Middle Ages, the use of hereditary surnames became increasingly common across Europe. In Denmark, patronymic surnames like Christiansen were widely adopted, indicating the father's given name. This naming convention helped distinguish families and establish lineages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Christiansen surname can be found in the 16th century Danish census records. The name also appears in various church registers and court documents from that era, suggesting its widespread use among the Danish population.

Notably, the Christiansen surname is associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. Jens Christiansen (1556-1612) was a renowned Danish architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of notable buildings, such as the Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen.

Another notable figure is Hans Christian Christiansen (1806-1845), a Danish educator and author who played a significant role in establishing the folk high school movement in Denmark, which aimed to provide education to rural populations.

In the 19th century, Christian Christiansen (1832-1917), a Danish businessman and philanthropist, founded the famous toy company Lego, which has since become a global brand.

The Christiansen surname is also linked to the Danish explorer Godfred Hansen Christiansen (1845-1928), who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions, contributing to the mapping and exploration of these areas.

Additionally, Ingeborg Christiansen (1891-1976) was a prominent Danish opera singer and actress who gained international recognition for her performances in various operas and plays.

While the Christiansen surname has Danish roots, it has since spread to other countries due to migration and has been adopted by people of various nationalities, particularly in regions with strong Danish influence or settlements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Christiansen

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

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 Christiansen 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 Christiansen 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 Christiansen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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