2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ekenstam
A Swedish surname derived from an oak tree or oak forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Ekenstam. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ekenstam 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Ekenstam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekenstam, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ekenstam
The surname Ekenstam has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "ek" meaning oak and "stam" meaning trunk or stem, suggesting a connection to an oak tree or a place where oak trees were found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century, when the name appeared in the Västergötland region of Sweden. Historical records from this time mention an individual named Ingrid Ekenstam, who was a landowner in the village of Ekenstorp.
During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in the region of Småland, where it was associated with several noble families. One notable individual was Erik Ekenstam (1560-1628), a wealthy landowner and military commander who fought in the Swedish-Danish War.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in the Swedish parish records of Västra Eneby, where a family of Ekenstams were recorded as farmers and landowners. This family produced several notable individuals, including Johan Ekenstam (1632-1701), a skilled carpenter who was commissioned to build several churches in the region.
As the name spread across Sweden, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Ekenstamm, Ekenstamme, and Eikenstam. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local pronunciations.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Ekenstam was Carl Ekenstam (1796-1874), a Swedish botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Scandinavia. He published several works, including "Flora över Sveriges Blomstrande Växter" (Flora of Sweden's Flowering Plants).
Another notable figure was Axel Ekenstam (1871-1943), a Swedish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and Minister of Education in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, the name Ekenstam has been carried by individuals such as Gunnar Ekenstam (1919-2008), a Swedish actor and director known for his work in theater and film, and Kristina Ekenstam (born 1960), a Swedish artist and sculptor whose work has been exhibited internationally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ekenstam
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekenstam, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ekenstam 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 Ekenstam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ekenstam
Ekenstam 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,758 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,758 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 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 Ekenstam 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 | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ekenstam bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Ekenstam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ekenstam?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Ekenstam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Ekenstam?
Ekenstam ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Ekenstam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ekenstam.
Has Ekenstam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ekenstam went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Ekenstam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekenstam, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Ekenstam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ekenstam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (10.9%), Black (0.9%). 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 Ekenstam (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 Ekenstam mean?
A Swedish surname derived from an oak tree or oak forest. 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 Ekenstam (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Ekenstam?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.