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

Forsberg, 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 Forsberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forsberg in America

Forsberg is the 7732nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forsberg surname appeared 4,294 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Forsberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forsberg 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 Forsberg

The surname Forsberg originates from Sweden and dates back to the 16th century. It is a locational surname derived from the Swedish words 'fors', meaning a waterfall or rapids, and 'berg', meaning a mountain or hill. The name likely originated from a specific place or farm located near a waterfall or rapids in a mountainous region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forsberg can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 16th century. The name was prevalent in the regions of Dalarna, Värmland, and Västmanland, areas known for their rugged terrain and numerous waterfalls.

In the 17th century, the Forsberg name appeared in several historical documents, including land records and tax registers. Notable individuals from this period include Johan Forsberg (1603-1672), a prominent merchant from Värmland, and Karin Forsberg (1625-1701), a landowner from Dalarna.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Forsberg name became more widespread across Sweden as people migrated to urban areas and abroad. One of the most notable figures from this time was Carl August Forsberg (1783-1847), a Swedish botanist and explorer who conducted expeditions in South America.

Other notable individuals with the Forsberg surname include:

1. Nils Erik Forsberg (1842-1934), a Swedish-American industrialist and founder of the Forsberg Iron and Steel Company in Chicago.
2. Emmy Forsberg (1854-1923), a Swedish opera singer known for her performances in the works of Richard Wagner.
3. Sven Forsberg (1900-1980), a Swedish cross-country skier who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Winter Olympics.
4. Ingrid Forsberg (1924-2011), a Swedish politician and member of the Swedish Riksdag (parliament) from 1971 to 1988.
5. Gunnar Forsberg (1923-2003), a Swedish architect known for his modernist designs, including the Uppsala Concert and Congress Hall.

While the Forsberg name has its roots in Sweden, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and has evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Forssberg and Forssbergh.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forsberg

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

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

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

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