2000
#23,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,035
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Ekberg
A Swedish surname derived from the Old Norse words ek meaning "oak" and berg meaning "hill" or "mountain".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,173 Americans carry the last name Ekberg. That puts it at #25,327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 292,203 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ekberg 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
1.2K
1 in 292,203
Census rank
#25,327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,023 bearers of the surname Ekberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ekberg
The surname EKBERG is of Swedish origin and is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is derived from the Old Swedish word "ek," meaning "oak," and the suffix "berg," which means "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near an oak-covered hill or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EKBERG can be found in the parish records of Värmland, Sweden, dating back to the early 1600s. It is also documented in the Swedish census records of the late 17th century, with several families bearing the name in the regions of Småland and Västergötland.
In the 18th century, the EKBERG name gained prominence with the birth of Anders Gustaf Ekeberg (1767-1813), a renowned Swedish chemist and mineralogist. He is best known for his discovery of the elements tantalum and yttrium, and for his contributions to analytical chemistry.
Another notable individual with the EKBERG surname was Carl August Ekeberg (1844-1923), a Swedish architect and a proponent of the National Romantic style of architecture. He designed several notable buildings in Stockholm, including the Stockholm Court House and the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
In the 20th century, the name EKBERG gained international recognition with the Swedish actress Anita Ekberg (1931-2015). She rose to fame for her roles in films such as "La Dolce Vita" and "Boccaccio '70," and became a cultural icon of the 1960s.
Other notable individuals with the EKBERG surname include:
1. Sven Ekberg (1891-1983), a Swedish footballer who played for AIK and the Swedish national team in the 1920s.
2. Ingrid Ekberg (1924-2007), a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) for the Social Democratic Party.
3. Carl-Johan Ekberg (born 1971), a Swedish professional ice hockey player who played in the NHL for the New York Rangers and New York Islanders.
4. Björn Ekberg (born 1964), a Swedish actor and comedian known for his work in television and theater.
5. Lena Ekberg (born 1940), a Swedish author and journalist who has written several books on social and cultural issues.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ekberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ekberg 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 Ekberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 930
- Two or more races4.0% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 10
- Black or African American0.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ekberg
Ekberg 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
#24,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,045
+10 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 1,034 places
2020
#25,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,023
-22 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 1,237 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,056 | 1,035 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,090 | 1,045 | 0.35 | +10 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 1,034 places |
| 2020 | #25,327 | 1,023 | 0.34 | -22 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 1,237 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 Ekberg 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 | #24,090 | #25,327 | -5.1% |
| Count | 1,045 | 1,023 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.34 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ekberg bearers went from 1,045 to 1,023 (-2.1% change). The surname moved down 1,237 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,090 to #25,327.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ekberg
FAQ
Ekberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ekberg?
Name Census estimates that about 1,173 living Americans carry the surname Ekberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 292,203 residents.
How common is Ekberg?
Ekberg ranks #25,327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,023 people with the surname Ekberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ekberg.
Has Ekberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ekberg went from 1,045 recorded bearers to 1,023. That is a decrease of 22 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,090 to #25,327.
What does the Census say about the background of Ekberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Ekberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (930 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ekberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Ekberg (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 Ekberg mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the Old Norse words ek meaning "oak" and berg meaning "hill" or "mountain". 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 Ekberg (0.34 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 have the surname Ekberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.