2000
#12,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,237
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Engen
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living at or near a narrow passage or ravine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,439 Americans carry the last name Engen. That puts it at #13,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,531 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Engen 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
2.4K
1 in 140,531
Census rank
#13,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,127 bearers of the surname Engen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Engen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Engen
The surname "ENGEN" originated in Norway during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "eng," which means "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for individuals who lived near or worked on meadows or pastures.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "ENGEN" can be found in the Norwegian census records from the 16th century. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Enghen," "Enghene," and "Enghenn," likely due to regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.
In the 17th century, the surname "ENGEN" began to appear more frequently in Norwegian church records and historical documents. One notable individual bearing this name was Hans Engen (1635-1702), a farmer and landowner from the Gudbrandsdalen valley in central Norway.
As the name spread across Norway, it became associated with specific geographic locations. For instance, the village of Engen in Vestland county is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating that it may have been founded or inhabited by families with the "ENGEN" surname.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the surname "ENGEN" achieved notable recognition. One such person was Nils Engen (1813-1892), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament). Another notable figure was Inger Engen (1856-1935), a Norwegian author and women's rights activist.
In the 20th century, the surname "ENGEN" continued to be associated with various professions and fields. One prominent individual was Olav Engen (1905-1989), a Norwegian speed skater who won multiple medals at the Winter Olympics in the 1930s. Another notable figure was Inger Marie Engen (1924-2005), a Norwegian actress and singer who had a successful career in theater and film.
It's worth mentioning that the surname "ENGEN" has also been recorded in other Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, although its origins can be traced back to Norway. Additionally, variations of the name, such as "Engh" and "Eng," have been observed in other regions, potentially reflecting the spread and adaptation of the name across different linguistic and cultural contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Engen
Among Census respondents with the surname Engen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Engen 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 Engen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,975
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 58
- Two or more races2.7% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Engen
Engen 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
#12,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,406
+169 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 135 places
2020
#13,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,127
-279 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 824 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,682 | 2,237 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,817 | 2,406 | 0.82 | +169 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 135 places |
| 2020 | #13,641 | 2,127 | 0.71 | -279 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 824 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 Engen 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 | #12,817 | #13,641 | -6.4% |
| Count | 2,406 | 2,127 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.71 | -13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Engen bearers went from 2,406 to 2,127 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 824 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,817 to #13,641.
FAQ
Engen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Engen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,439 living Americans carry the surname Engen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,531 residents.
How common is Engen?
Engen ranks #13,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,127 people with the surname Engen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,439), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Engen.
Has Engen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Engen went from 2,406 recorded bearers to 2,127. That is a decrease of 279 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,817 to #13,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Engen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Engen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Engen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,975 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Engen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (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 Engen (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 Engen mean?
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living at or near a narrow passage or ravine. 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 Engen (0.71 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 Engen?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Engen, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.