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

Ericksen, 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 Ericksen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ericksen in America

Ericksen is the 8496th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ericksen surname appeared 3,877 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 Ericksen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ericksen 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 Ericksen

The surname Ericksen is of Scandinavian origin, specifically Danish and Swedish. It originated in the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is a patronymic, meaning it was derived from a given name combined with the suffix "-sen" or "-son," indicating "son of." In this case, Ericksen means "son of Eric" or "son of Erik."

The name's roots can be traced back to the Old Norse name Eiríkr, which was composed of the elements ei, meaning "ever" or "always," and ríkr, meaning "ruler" or "powerful." This name was widespread among the Vikings and later adopted by Scandinavian settlers in various regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ericksen can be found in the Danish Census Book of 1645, where it appears as "Ericksøn." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time and across different regions.

In Sweden, the name Eriksson (the Swedish spelling) can be traced back to the 16th century. One notable figure bearing this name was Johan Eriksson Leijonhufvud, a Swedish statesman born in 1537 and died in 1604. He played a significant role in the Swedish Reformation and served as a councilor to King John III of Sweden.

Another historical figure with the Ericksen surname was Hans Ericksen, a Danish explorer who accompanied Vitus Bering on his expedition to the Arctic regions in the 1730s. Ericksen was part of the crew that discovered the Aleutian Islands and the Alaskan mainland.

In the literary realm, the Norwegian author and playwright Erik Ericksen (1892-1980) gained recognition for his works, including the novel "Sangen om den røde rubin" (The Song of the Red Ruby), published in 1928.

The Ericksen surname also has ties to the maritime industry. Captain Nils Ericksen (1804-1888), a Norwegian sea captain and ship owner, was known for his voyages to the Arctic regions and his involvement in the whaling industry.

It's worth noting that variations of the name, such as Eriksen, Ericson, and Ericsson, are also commonly found in Scandinavian countries and regions with strong Scandinavian influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ericksen

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

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 Ericksen 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 Ericksen 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 Ericksen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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