2000
#9,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Dahlgren
A Swedish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley branch" or "valley creek."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,313 Americans carry the last name Dahlgren. That puts it at #10,586 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,457 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dahlgren 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
3.3K
1 in 103,457
Census rank
#10,586
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,889 bearers of the surname Dahlgren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10586th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dahlgren
The surname Dahlgren originates from Sweden, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Swedish words "dal," meaning valley, and "gren," meaning branch, suggesting a connection to a location or a person from a valley with branches or trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dahlgren name can be found in the Swedish "Household Examination Rolls" from the late 17th century, where several families with this surname were documented in various regions of Sweden.
In the 18th century, the Dahlgren name gained prominence with the birth of Karl Dahlgren (1701-1771), a Swedish naval officer and shipbuilder. He played a significant role in the development of the Swedish navy during the reign of King Adolf Frederick.
Another notable figure was John Dahlgren (1809-1870), a Swedish-American naval officer and inventor. He is best known for developing the Dahlgren gun, a type of naval artillery widely used during the American Civil War. John Dahlgren's contributions were instrumental in advancing naval warfare technology.
The Dahlgren name also has connections to the world of academia. Erik Dahlgren (1848-1922) was a Swedish chemist and professor at the University of Uppsala. He made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry and is remembered for his research on organic compounds.
In the 20th century, the name gained international recognition with the Swedish actor and director Rolf Dahlgren (1918-2000). He had a prolific career in both film and theater, and his work was widely acclaimed in Sweden and abroad.
Throughout history, the Dahlgren surname has been associated with various professions and fields, from military and naval service to science and the arts. While the name originated in Sweden, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with individuals bearing this surname contributing to their respective communities and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dahlgren
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dahlgren 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 Dahlgren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 2,695
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 106
- Two or more races2.2% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dahlgren
Dahlgren 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
#10,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,096
-46 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 917 places
2020
#10,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,889
-207 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,488 | 3,142 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,405 | 3,096 | 1.05 | -46 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 917 places |
| 2020 | #10,586 | 2,889 | 0.97 | -207 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 181 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 Dahlgren 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 | #10,405 | #10,586 | -1.7% |
| Count | 3,096 | 2,889 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.97 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dahlgren bearers went from 3,096 to 2,889 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,405 to #10,586.
FAQ
Dahlgren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dahlgren?
Name Census estimates that about 3,313 living Americans carry the surname Dahlgren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,457 residents.
How common is Dahlgren?
Dahlgren ranks #10,586 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,889 people with the surname Dahlgren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,313), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Dahlgren.
Has Dahlgren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dahlgren went from 3,096 recorded bearers to 2,889. That is a decrease of 207 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,405 to #10,586.
What does the Census say about the background of Dahlgren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahlgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Dahlgren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (2,695 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dahlgren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Dahlgren (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 Dahlgren mean?
A Swedish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley branch" or "valley creek." 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 Dahlgren (0.97 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 Dahlgren?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Dahlgren at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.