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

Espeland, 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 Espeland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Espeland in America

Espeland is the 45253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Espeland surname appeared 473 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 Espeland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Espeland 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 Espeland

The surname Espeland originated in Norway, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Norse words "esp," meaning "aspen tree," and "land," meaning "land" or "territory." The name likely referred to an area where aspen trees were abundant, or a homestead located near a grove of aspens.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Halvor Espeland, a farmer who lived in the Hardanger region of western Norway in the late 13th century. His name is recorded in a land deed from 1287.

In the 16th century, the Espeland name appeared in the records of the Ryfylke district, which is also located in western Norway. A notable figure from this era was Knut Espeland, a landowner and farmer who lived from approximately 1520 to 1590.

The name Espeland has been found in various historical documents throughout the centuries, including church records, tax rolls, and census records. In the 18th century, the spelling "Espeland" became more standardized, although variations such as "Espelandt" and "Espelandt" were still occasionally used.

One of the most prominent individuals with the Espeland surname was Nils Espeland, a Norwegian-American author and journalist who lived from 1865 to 1949. He was born in Espeland, a farm in Hardanger, Norway, and later emigrated to the United States, where he worked as a newspaper editor and published several books on Norwegian-American history and culture.

Another notable bearer of the name was Ludvig Espeland, a Norwegian politician and lawyer who lived from 1874 to 1944. He served as a member of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) and held several important legal positions throughout his career.

In the 20th century, the Espeland name continued to be found in various parts of Norway, as well as among Norwegian-American communities in the United States. Some other individuals with this surname include Olav Espeland, a Norwegian farmer and politician who lived from 1887 to 1968, and Trygve Espeland, a Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1909 to 1997.

Overall, the surname Espeland has a rich history rooted in the fjords and valleys of western Norway, where it likely originated as a descriptive name referring to a homestead or territory characterized by the presence of aspen trees.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Espeland

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

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

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

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