2000
#1,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.92
Uncommon Last name
Christiansen
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Christian," indicating the bearer's father was named Christian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,956 Americans carry the last name Christiansen. That puts it at #1,840 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,611 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christiansen 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Christiansen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,611
Census rank
#1,840
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,147 bearers of the surname Christiansen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1840th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christiansen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christiansen
Among Census respondents with the surname Christiansen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Christiansen 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 Christiansen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 17,352
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 813
- Two or more races2.9% · 556
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 191
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 164
- Black or African American0.4% · 71
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christiansen
Christiansen 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
#1,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,340
+664 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 6.56
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#1,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,147
-193 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 6.41
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,760 | 18,676 | 6.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,854 | 19,340 | 6.56 | +664 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #1,840 | 19,147 | 6.41 | -193 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 14 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 Christiansen 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 | #1,854 | #1,840 | 0.8% |
| Count | 19,340 | 19,147 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.56 | 6.41 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christiansen bearers went from 19,340 to 19,147 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,854 to #1,840.
FAQ
Christiansen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christiansen?
Name Census estimates that about 21,956 living Americans carry the surname Christiansen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,611 residents.
How common is Christiansen?
Christiansen ranks #1,840 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,147 people with the surname Christiansen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Christiansen.
Has Christiansen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christiansen went from 19,340 recorded bearers to 19,147. That is a decrease of 193 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,854 to #1,840.
What does the Census say about the background of Christiansen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christiansen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Christiansen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (17,352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christiansen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Christiansen (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 Christiansen mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Christian," indicating the bearer's father was named Christian. 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 Christiansen (6.41 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 common is the surname Christiansen?
See how many people are called Christiansen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.