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

Erstad, 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 Erstad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erstad in America

Erstad is the 51396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erstad surname appeared 405 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Erstad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erstad 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 Erstad

The surname Erstad originates from Norway, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "erð" meaning "sandy ground" and "staðr" signifying "place" or "farm." This etymology suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived on or owned sandy, arable land.

Erstad is a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from a specific place known as Erstad. Historical records show that there were several villages and farms bearing this name in various parts of Norway, particularly in the regions of Vestfold, Østfold, and Telemark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Erstad name dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomatic documents. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a distinct surname by that time.

In the 16th century, the Erstad surname can be found in a Norwegian census record from 1593, which listed several individuals bearing this name in the town of Tønsberg, located in the county of Vestfold.

The 17th century saw the emergence of a prominent figure named Hallvard Erstad (1615-1679), a Norwegian clergyman and author who served as the rector of the Cathedral School in Trondheim. His literary works, including a Latin grammar book and a collection of sermons, contributed to the dissemination of the Erstad name within academic and religious circles.

Another notable individual with the Erstad surname was Hans Erstad (1798-1873), a Norwegian poet and playwright born in the village of Eidsvoll. His literary works, often infused with patriotic themes and a celebration of Norwegian culture, gained him recognition during the Romantic Nationalist movement of the 19th century.

In the 20th century, Rolf Erstad (1905-1986) was a Norwegian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the town of Sandefjord. He established several businesses and donated generously to educational and cultural institutions, leaving a lasting impact on the local community.

The Erstad name has also been associated with various locations and place names throughout Norway. For instance, the farm Erstad Søndre in Sandefjord and the village of Erstad in Østfold both bear the name, serving as reminders of its geographical origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erstad

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

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

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

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