2000
#8,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Ericksen
Son of Eric or descendant of Eric, derived from the Scandinavian personal name Eiríkr, meaning "ever ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,878 Americans carry the last name Ericksen. That puts it at #9,245 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,384 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ericksen 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
3.9K
1 in 88,384
Census rank
#9,245
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,382 bearers of the surname Ericksen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9245th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ericksen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ericksen
Among Census respondents with the surname Ericksen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ericksen 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 Ericksen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,127
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 119
- Two or more races2.8% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ericksen
Ericksen 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
#8,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,877
+491 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 395 places
2020
#9,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,382
-495 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 749 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,891 | 3,386 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,496 | 3,877 | 1.31 | +491 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 395 places |
| 2020 | #9,245 | 3,382 | 1.13 | -495 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 749 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 Ericksen 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 | #8,496 | #9,245 | -8.8% |
| Count | 3,877 | 3,382 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.13 | -13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ericksen bearers went from 3,877 to 3,382 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 749 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,496 to #9,245.
FAQ
Ericksen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ericksen?
Name Census estimates that about 3,878 living Americans carry the surname Ericksen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,384 residents.
How common is Ericksen?
Ericksen ranks #9,245 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,382 people with the surname Ericksen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Ericksen.
Has Ericksen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ericksen went from 3,877 recorded bearers to 3,382. That is a decrease of 495 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,496 to #9,245.
What does the Census say about the background of Ericksen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ericksen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) 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 Ericksen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ericksen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), 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 Ericksen (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 Ericksen mean?
Son of Eric or descendant of Eric, derived from the Scandinavian personal name Eiríkr, meaning "ever ruler." 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 Ericksen (1.13 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 have the surname Ericksen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.