2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ekness
A surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "oak" or "oak tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Ekness. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ekness 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Ekness in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekness, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ekness
The surname EKNESS originated in Sweden during the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "ekr" meaning oak and "nes" meaning headland or promontory, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near an oak-covered headland or peninsula.
The earliest known record of the EKNESS surname can be traced back to a Swedish church register from the year 1587, where a man named Olof Ekness was listed as a resident of the village of Ekeby in the province of Småland. This region was known for its abundance of oak trees, lending credence to the proposed origin of the name.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the EKNESS surname was Johan Ekness (1625-1698), a Swedish merchant and shipowner who became one of the wealthiest individuals in the city of Gothenburg. His successful trading ventures and investments in the shipping industry earned him a prominent reputation and helped establish the EKNESS name among the mercantile class.
Another historical figure of note was Karin Ekness (1734-1808), a Swedish writer and poet who gained recognition for her collection of poems titled "Sånger från Småland" (Songs from Småland), which celebrated the natural beauty and rural life of her home province. Her work is considered an important contribution to the literary heritage of Sweden.
In the 19th century, Nils Ekness (1812-1879) was a Swedish-born American settler who immigrated to Minnesota in the 1850s. He became one of the earliest Swedish pioneers in the region and played a role in the establishment of Swedish communities in the state, helping to preserve the cultural traditions of his homeland.
Turning to the 20th century, Erik Ekness (1901-1987) was a renowned Swedish architect who designed several notable buildings in Stockholm, including the Stockholm Public Library and the Stockholm Concert Hall. His modernist style and innovative use of materials had a significant impact on the architectural landscape of the city.
Throughout its history, the EKNESS surname has maintained its presence in Sweden and has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its roots can be traced back to the oak-covered headlands of Sweden's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ekness
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekness, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ekness 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 Ekness surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ekness
Ekness 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+16 bearers (+13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,990 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-12 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+13.8%) | Up 4,990 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 13,002 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 Ekness 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 | #129,047 | #142,049 | -10.1% |
| Count | 132 | 120 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ekness bearers went from 132 to 120 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 13,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #142,049.
FAQ
Ekness surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ekness?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Ekness. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Ekness?
Ekness ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Ekness. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Ekness.
Has Ekness become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ekness went from 132 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Ekness?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekness, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Ekness in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ekness appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Black (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Ekness (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 Ekness mean?
A surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "oak" or "oak tree". 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 Ekness (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 common is the surname Ekness?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Ekness on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.