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

Espeseth, 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 Espeseth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Espeseth in America

Espeseth is the 53072nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Espeseth surname appeared 390 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 Espeseth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Espeseth 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 Espeseth

The surname ESPESETH is believed to have originated in Norway during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse words "esp," meaning "aspen tree," and "seth," meaning "pasture" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near an aspen grove or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. In this record, a person named Espen Espeseth was mentioned as a landowner in the region of Vestfold.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, variations of the name, such as "Espesseth" and "Espesæth," were found in various Norse sagas and chronicles. These documents often referred to individuals from prominent families or those who held positions of authority in their communities.

In the 16th century, the name ESPESETH gained prominence in the coastal regions of Norway, particularly in the areas around Bergen and Stavanger. It is believed that several notable figures from this period bore the surname, including Hallvard Espeseth (1512-1587), a successful merchant and shipowner from Bergen.

As Norway transitioned into the modern era, the name ESPESETH continued to be well-represented in various parts of the country. One notable individual was Hans Espeseth (1823-1904), a prominent politician and landowner from the Trøndelag region, who served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) in the late 19th century.

Another significant figure was Ingrid Espeseth (1847-1923), a pioneering educator and women's rights activist from Stavanger. She was instrumental in establishing several schools for girls and advocating for equal educational opportunities for women in Norway.

In the 20th century, the name ESPESETH gained international recognition through the achievements of Kjell Espeseth (1932-2010), a renowned Norwegian architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban development projects in Norway and abroad.

It is worth noting that while the surname ESPESETH has its roots in Norway, it has also been adopted by individuals of Norwegian descent living in other parts of the world, particularly in North America and other regions with significant Norwegian immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Espeseth

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

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

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

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