2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fernlund
A Swedish surname meaning "fern grove" or "fern meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Fernlund. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fernlund 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Fernlund in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernlund, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fernlund
The surname FERNLUND is of Swedish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Swedish words "fern" meaning fern, and "lund" meaning grove or small wood. This suggests that the name likely originated from a specific place or region known for its fern-covered woodlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FERNLUND surname can be found in the Swedish church records of Östergötland County, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document a family with the surname Fernlundh, which is believed to be an earlier spelling variation.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents and manuscripts from the regions of Småland and Västergötland in southern Sweden. This indicates that the name was particularly prevalent in these areas during that time period.
The earliest known bearer of the FERNLUND surname was Johan Fernlund, a Swedish farmer born in 1622 in the village of Långserum, located in the province of Småland. His descendants continued to use the FERNLUND name throughout the following centuries.
Another notable individual with this surname was Carl Gustav Fernlund, a Swedish botanist and naturalist who lived from 1766 to 1831. He contributed significantly to the study of Swedish flora and published several works on the subject.
In the 19th century, the FERNLUND surname gained prominence with the birth of Emma Fernlund (1845-1922), a Swedish educator and women's rights advocate. She played a crucial role in establishing educational opportunities for women in Sweden during her time.
The name also appears in historical records from other parts of Scandinavia, such as the Danish island of Bornholm, where a family by the name of Fernlund resided in the late 18th century.
Another notable bearer of the FERNLUND surname was Axel Fernlund, a Swedish architect who lived from 1875 to 1945. He was renowned for his work in designing several notable buildings and public structures in Stockholm and other Swedish cities.
While the FERNLUND surname has its origins in Sweden, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the fern-covered woodlands of southern Sweden, where it first emerged as a locational surname several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fernlund
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernlund, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fernlund 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 Fernlund surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 8
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fernlund
Fernlund 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,695 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+13 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 15,695 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 10,223 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 Fernlund 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 | #151,532 | #141,309 | 6.7% |
| Count | 108 | 121 | 12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fernlund bearers went from 108 to 121 (+12.0% change). The surname moved up 10,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #141,309.
FAQ
Fernlund surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fernlund?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Fernlund. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Fernlund?
Fernlund ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Fernlund. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fernlund.
Has Fernlund become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fernlund went from 108 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 13 (+12.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Fernlund?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernlund, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Fernlund in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fernlund appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Fernlund (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 Fernlund mean?
A Swedish surname meaning "fern grove" or "fern meadow". 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 Fernlund (0.04 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 share the surname Fernlund?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.