2000
#8,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,493
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Dahlberg
A Swedish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or ravine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,858 Americans carry the last name Dahlberg. That puts it at #9,284 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,842 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dahlberg 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
3.9K
1 in 88,842
Census rank
#9,284
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,364 bearers of the surname Dahlberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9284th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dahlberg
The surname DAHLBERG originated in Sweden and has its roots in the 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Swedish words "dahl," meaning valley, and "berg," meaning mountain or hill, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a valley or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DAHLBERG can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 1600s. These records often included information about family names, occupations, and places of residence, providing valuable insights into the origins of the name.
The DAHLBERG surname gained prominence in Sweden during the 17th and 18th centuries. Notable individuals bearing this name include Erik Dahlberg (1625-1703), a Swedish field marshal and military engineer who played a significant role in the Great Northern War. Another famous Swede with this surname was Johan Olof Dahlberg (1732-1797), a respected architect and city planner who designed several notable buildings in Stockholm.
As the name spread throughout Sweden, it also appeared in various historical documents and records. For instance, the DAHLBERG name can be found in the Swedish Census records from the 19th century, indicating its continued presence in the country.
Over time, the DAHLBERG surname also made its way to other parts of the world, particularly through Swedish emigration. One notable individual was Nils Dahlberg (1843-1923), a Swedish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Dahlberg Furniture Company in Chicago.
Another significant figure with the DAHLBERG surname was Johan Dahlberg (1868-1942), a Swedish-American inventor and engineer who developed the Dahlberg Hearing Aid, one of the earliest electronic hearing aids designed to help those with hearing impairments.
While the DAHLBERG name has its origins in Sweden, it has since spread to various countries and cultures, reflecting the global reach and influence of Swedish emigration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dahlberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dahlberg 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 Dahlberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,088
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 129
- Two or more races3.0% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dahlberg
Dahlberg 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
#9,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,499
+6 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 634 places
2020
#9,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,364
-135 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,667 | 3,493 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,301 | 3,499 | 1.19 | +6 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 634 places |
| 2020 | #9,284 | 3,364 | 1.13 | -135 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 17 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 Dahlberg 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 | #9,301 | #9,284 | 0.2% |
| Count | 3,499 | 3,364 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.13 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dahlberg bearers went from 3,499 to 3,364 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,301 to #9,284.
FAQ
Dahlberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dahlberg?
Name Census estimates that about 3,858 living Americans carry the surname Dahlberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,842 residents.
How common is Dahlberg?
Dahlberg ranks #9,284 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,364 people with the surname Dahlberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,858), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dahlberg.
Has Dahlberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dahlberg went from 3,499 recorded bearers to 3,364. That is a decrease of 135 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,301 to #9,284.
What does the Census say about the background of Dahlberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Dahlberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,088 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dahlberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Dahlberg (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 Dahlberg mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or ravine. 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 Dahlberg (1.13 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 Dahlberg?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dahlberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.