2000
#5,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.29
Rare Last name
Evenson
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Even, a variant of Iven, meaning "archer's bow" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,431 Americans carry the last name Evenson. That puts it at #5,924 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,297 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Evenson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Evenson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,297
Census rank
#5,924
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,608 bearers of the surname Evenson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5924th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Evenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Evenson
The surname Evenson originated in Scandinavia, with its roots tracing back to the Old Norse personal name Evindr or Eyvindr. This name was derived from the Old Norse elements "ey" meaning "island" and "vindr" meaning "wind." Thus, the name Evenson could be interpreted as "son of Evindr" or "son of the island wind."
The earliest known records of the Evenson name can be found in Iceland, where it appeared as early as the 13th century. In Norway, the name was commonly spelled as Evensen or Evenson, with the latter spelling being more prevalent in later centuries.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the Evenson surname was Þorsteinn Evenson, a Norwegian farmer who lived in the 14th century. His name is mentioned in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents.
In the 16th century, the Evenson name made its way to Denmark, where it was sometimes spelled as Evensen or Evenssøn. Notable Danish individuals with this surname include Niels Evenson (1609-1674), a wealthy merchant and ship owner from Copenhagen.
As the Evenson family spread across Scandinavia, some members eventually migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the 19th century, many Evensons from Norway and Sweden emigrated to the United States, settling in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
One of the most famous Evensons in American history was Walter Evenson (1890-1964), a prominent lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as the Attorney General of Wisconsin from 1939 to 1949 and played a significant role in the state's government during the mid-20th century.
Another notable Evenson was Lillie Evenson (1885-1977), a Norwegian-American author and educator. She wrote several books on Norwegian culture and folklore, helping to preserve and promote her heritage in the United States.
In the literary world, the name Evenson is associated with Brian Evenson (born 1966), an American author and professor known for his works of literary fiction and horror. His novels and short stories have received critical acclaim and numerous awards.
While the Evenson surname may have originated in Scandinavia, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of this name contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Evenson
Among Census respondents with the surname Evenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Evenson 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 Evenson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 5,219
- Two or more races2.7% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 44
- Black or African American0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Evenson
Evenson 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
#5,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,088
-98 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 504 places
2020
#5,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,608
-480 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Down 230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,190 | 6,186 | 2.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,694 | 6,088 | 2.06 | -98 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 504 places |
| 2020 | #5,924 | 5,608 | 1.88 | -480 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 230 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 Evenson 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 | #5,694 | #5,924 | -4.0% |
| Count | 6,088 | 5,608 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.06 | 1.88 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Evenson bearers went from 6,088 to 5,608 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 230 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,694 to #5,924.
FAQ
Evenson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Evenson?
Name Census estimates that about 6,431 living Americans carry the surname Evenson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,297 residents.
How common is Evenson?
Evenson ranks #5,924 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,608 people with the surname Evenson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Evenson.
Has Evenson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Evenson went from 6,088 recorded bearers to 5,608. That is a decrease of 480 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,694 to #5,924.
What does the Census say about the background of Evenson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Evenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Evenson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (5,219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Evenson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Evenson (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 Evenson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Even, a variant of Iven, meaning "archer's bow" in Old English. 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 Evenson (1.88 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 Evenson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.