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

Firethunder, 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 Firethunder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Firethunder in America

Firethunder is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Firethunder surname appeared 103 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 Firethunder.

The history of the last name Firethunder

The surname FIRETHUNDER is of Old Norse origin, derived from the words "fyr," meaning fire, and "þundr," meaning thunder. It is believed to have originated in the Viking settlements of present-day Norway, Iceland, and the surrounding regions during the 9th and 10th centuries.

The name's roots can be traced back to the ancient Norse mythology, where the god Thor was often depicted wielding lightning bolts and associated with thunderstorms. The combination of fire and thunder was likely used to describe a powerful and awe-inspiring individual or a fierce warrior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FIRETHUNDER can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas narrate the lives and deeds of Viking settlers and their descendants in Iceland, and the name is mentioned in connection with a renowned chieftain from the Westfjords region.

In the late 15th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Fyrthundr," appeared in a manuscript documenting the genealogies of prominent families in the Faroe Islands. This suggests that the name had spread to the North Atlantic islands colonized by the Vikings.

During the Viking Age, the FIRETHUNDER name was likely associated with individuals known for their strength, courage, and prowess in battle. One notable figure bearing this surname was Eirik FIRETHUNDER, a legendary Norse explorer who is said to have led expeditions to Greenland and the eastern coasts of present-day Canada around the year 1000 CE.

Another historical figure with this surname was Ingrid FIRETHUNDER, a powerful chieftain's daughter from the Lofoten Islands in Norway, who was renowned for her skill in navigation and seafaring in the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a prominent Viking warrior named Torbjorn FIRETHUNDER was recorded as leading a successful raid against a rival clan in the Shetland Islands. His exploits were documented in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative of the Norse earls of Orkney.

During the 16th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Fyrrthundr," appeared in a record of land grants in the Icelandic Alþingi (parliament), indicating that the name had endured and spread across the island over the centuries.

One of the last notable historical figures bearing the FIRETHUNDER surname was Gudrun FIRETHUNDER, a respected skald (poet) and storyteller from the Westman Islands of Iceland, who lived in the late 17th century and was renowned for her preservation of ancient Norse traditions and folklore.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Firethunder

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

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 Firethunder 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.

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

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

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