2000
#67,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Floberg
A surname likely of Scandinavian origin meaning "from the river meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 274 Americans carry the last name Floberg. That puts it at #84,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,250,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Floberg 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
274
1 in 1,250,928
Census rank
#84,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
239
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 239 bearers of the surname Floberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 84529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Floberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Floberg
The surname FLOBERG originates from Sweden, with its earliest recorded examples appearing in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "flö" meaning "flat" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "rocky outcrop." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone residing near a flat-topped mountain or rocky plateau.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johan Floberg, a farmer from the province of Dalarna, born around 1580. Historical records indicate that he had a farmstead located near the village of Flöberg, which likely took its name from the local topographical features.
In the 17th century, the FLOBERG name spread to other parts of Sweden, particularly in the regions of Västergötland and Värmland. Notable individuals from this period include Anders Floberg (1620-1695), a merchant and landowner in Gothenburg, and Karin Floberg (1645-1719), a midwife and herbalist renowned for her expertise in traditional Swedish folk medicine.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several prominent figures bearing the FLOBERG surname. One such individual was Carl Floberg (1705-1778), a skilled architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Stockholm and its surrounding areas. Another was Johan Floberg (1730-1801), a renowned theologian and professor at Uppsala University.
In the 19th century, the FLOBERG name gained recognition through the achievements of Gustav Floberg (1820-1892), a pioneering Swedish-American engineer who played a significant role in the development of the early railroad system in the United States. Meanwhile, back in Sweden, Alma Floberg (1845-1921) became a celebrated artist and painter, known for her landscape and portraiture works.
As the 20th century dawned, the FLOBERG name continued to make its mark, with individuals like Nils Floberg (1905-1987), a celebrated author and journalist whose works explored themes of social injustice and the plight of the working class in Sweden.
Throughout its history, the FLOBERG surname has been associated with various professions, from farming and craftsmanship to academia and the arts. Its origins can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of central Sweden, where it first emerged as a descriptive name reflecting the unique geography of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Floberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Floberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Floberg 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 Floberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 228
- Two or more races2.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 3
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Floberg
Floberg 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
#75,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
-17 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 7,752 places
2020
#84,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
-18 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 9,460 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,317 | 274 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75,069 | 257 | 0.09 | -17 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 7,752 places |
| 2020 | #84,529 | 239 | 0.08 | -18 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 9,460 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 Floberg 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 | #75,069 | #84,529 | -12.6% |
| Count | 257 | 239 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.08 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Floberg bearers went from 257 to 239 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 9,460 positions in the national ranking, going from #75,069 to #84,529.
FAQ
Floberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Floberg?
Name Census estimates that about 274 living Americans carry the surname Floberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,250,928 residents.
How common is Floberg?
Floberg ranks #84,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 239 people with the surname Floberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (274), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Floberg.
Has Floberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Floberg went from 257 recorded bearers to 239. That is a decrease of 18 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #75,069 to #84,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Floberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Floberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Floberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Floberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Floberg (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 Floberg mean?
A surname likely of Scandinavian origin meaning "from the river 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 Floberg (0.08 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 are called Floberg?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Floberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.