2000
#2,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,866
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.40
Uncommon Last name
Christianson
Son of Christian, an English patronymic surname derived from the personal name Christian, meaning "follower of Christ."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,371 Americans carry the last name Christianson. That puts it at #3,013 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,634 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christianson 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
13K
1 in 25,634
Census rank
#3,013
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,660 bearers of the surname Christianson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3013th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christianson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Christianson
Christianson is a Scandinavian surname with its origins in Denmark and Norway. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally derived from the father's given name, in this case Christian. The suffix "-son" was added to the name to indicate "son of."
The name Christian itself has Greek roots, stemming from the word "Christos" which means "anointed." It was a popular name among early Christians and became widely used across Europe as Christianity spread.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Christianson can be traced back to medieval Scandinavian records and parish registers from the 13th and 14th centuries. Variations in spelling were common during this time, with the name appearing as Christenssøn, Kristiannson, and Kristiannssøn, among others.
One notable historical figure bearing the Christianson name was Hans Christianson (1566-1628), a Danish naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions in the early 17th century. His explorations contributed greatly to the mapping and knowledge of these areas.
Another prominent individual was Nils Christianson (1837-1912), a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and educator who played a significant role in establishing Lutheran churches and schools in the Midwestern United States during the late 19th century.
In the literary world, Ole Edvart Christianson (1854-1935) was a Norwegian-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the experiences of Norwegian immigrants in the United States, preserving their stories and cultural traditions.
Erika Christianson (1901-1985), born in Sweden, was a renowned medical researcher and physician who made significant contributions to the understanding of diabetes and metabolic disorders.
Lastly, Greta Christianson (1914-2001), a Danish-American actress, had a successful career on stage and screen, appearing in numerous Broadway productions and Hollywood films throughout the mid-20th century.
While the Christianson surname has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of descendants and immigrants seeking new opportunities in different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christianson
Among Census respondents with the surname Christianson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Christianson 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 Christianson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 10,711
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 367
- Two or more races3.1% · 359
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 77
- Black or African American0.4% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christianson
Christianson 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
#3,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,951
+85 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 4.05
Rank movement Down 214 places
2020
#3,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,660
-291 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 3.90
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,787 | 11,866 | 4.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,001 | 11,951 | 4.05 | +85 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 214 places |
| 2020 | #3,013 | 11,660 | 3.90 | -291 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 12 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 Christianson 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 | #3,001 | #3,013 | -0.4% |
| Count | 11,951 | 11,660 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.05 | 3.90 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christianson bearers went from 11,951 to 11,660 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,001 to #3,013.
FAQ
Christianson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christianson?
Name Census estimates that about 13,371 living Americans carry the surname Christianson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,634 residents.
How common is Christianson?
Christianson ranks #3,013 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,660 people with the surname Christianson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,371), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Christianson.
Has Christianson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christianson went from 11,951 recorded bearers to 11,660. That is a decrease of 291 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,001 to #3,013.
What does the Census say about the background of Christianson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christianson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Christianson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (10,711 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christianson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Christianson (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 Christianson mean?
Son of Christian, an English patronymic surname derived from the personal name Christian, meaning "follower of Christ." 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 Christianson (3.90 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 Christianson?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Christianson at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.