2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Embertson
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a burned or ember-colored area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Embertson. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Embertson 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Embertson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Embertson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Embertson
The surname Embertson has its origins in the Nordic countries, particularly Norway and Sweden, where it emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Ember" or "Embri," which was a popular name among the Vikings. The suffix "-son" indicates that the name was a patronymic, meaning "son of Ember" or "son of Embri."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Embertson can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of historical documents from Norway dating back to the 12th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a man named Embertson Haakonsson, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent landowner in the region of Vestfold.
During the Viking Age, the name Embertson was also present in various parts of Scandinavia. Some historical records from this period mention individuals with similar spellings, such as Embersson or Embersson, indicating the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Embertson Tordsson was mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives from Iceland. Tordsson was a farmer and landowner who played a role in local disputes and negotiations.
As the Scandinavian diaspora spread throughout Europe and beyond, the surname Embertson traveled with them. In the 17th century, there are records of an Embertson family residing in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where they were involved in maritime trade.
Another prominent individual with the surname Embertson was Erik Embertson, a Swedish soldier who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was known for his bravery and military prowess and was awarded several honors for his service.
In the 19th century, a Norwegian-American named Hans Embertson made his mark in the United States. Born in 1825 in Norway, he immigrated to Wisconsin and became a successful farmer and community leader, playing a significant role in the development of the local Norwegian-American community.
While the surname Embertson is relatively uncommon today, it retains its historical roots and serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of the Nordic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Embertson
Among Census respondents with the surname Embertson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Embertson 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 Embertson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Embertson
Embertson 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+7 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,479 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-17 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,046 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 2,479 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 16,046 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 Embertson 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 | #135,593 | #151,639 | -11.8% |
| Count | 124 | 107 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Embertson bearers went from 124 to 107 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 16,046 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #151,639.
FAQ
Embertson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Embertson?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Embertson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Embertson?
Embertson ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Embertson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Embertson.
Has Embertson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Embertson went from 124 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Embertson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Embertson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Embertson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Embertson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Embertson (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 Embertson mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a burned or ember-colored area. 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 Embertson (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 people are called Embertson?
If you just want to know how many people are called Embertson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.