Find out how popular the last name Eklund is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Eklund.

Eklund, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Eklund surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eklund in America

Eklund is the 8178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eklund surname appeared 4,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Eklund.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eklund to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Eklund

The surname Eklund originates from Sweden, emerging in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Swedish word "ek," meaning "oak," and "lund," meaning "grove" or "meadow." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near an oak grove or in an area with oak trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eklund dates back to 1594, when it appeared in the Swedish church records of Östergötland County. At the time, spellings such as "Ekelundh" and "Ekelunn" were also common variations.

In the 17th century, the name Eklund was found in various Swedish regions, including Småland, Västergötland, and Dalarna. It was particularly prevalent in rural areas, indicating that many early bearers of the name were likely farmers or landowners residing near oak groves or forests.

Notable individuals with the surname Eklund include Vilhelm Eklund (1821-1889), a Swedish author and journalist who wrote extensively about social issues and advocated for the rights of workers. Another prominent figure was Nils Eklund (1899-1990), a Swedish artist and sculptor known for his modernist works in wood and stone.

During the 19th century, the Eklund name appeared in historical records in the United States, as Swedish immigrants began settling in areas such as Minnesota and Illinois. One early bearer of the name was Johan Eklund (1832-1904), a Swedish-born farmer who immigrated to Minnesota in the 1860s and became a prominent figure in the local Swedish community.

Moving into the 20th century, Gunnar Eklund (1919-1983) was a renowned Swedish wrestler and Olympic gold medalist, winning the heavyweight freestyle wrestling event at the 1948 London Olympics. Another notable figure was Artur Eklund (1909-1994), a Swedish chess player and International Master.

Throughout its history, the surname Eklund has maintained its connection to Sweden and its linguistic roots, reflecting the country's natural landscapes and the importance of oak trees in Swedish culture and tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eklund

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Eklund.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Eklund was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Eklund has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Eklund was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Eklund, please contact us.

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