2000
#15,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,688
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Gundersen
A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "son of Gunnar".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,804 Americans carry the last name Gundersen. That puts it at #12,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gundersen 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
2.8K
1 in 122,238
Census rank
#12,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,445 bearers of the surname Gundersen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gundersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gundersen
The surname Gundersen has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the given name of the father, in this case Gunder or Gunnar. These Old Norse names are thought to have originated from the words "gunnr" meaning war and "arr" meaning warrior, essentially translating to "warrior" or "battle".
The earliest recorded instances of the name Gundersen can be traced back to the 13th century in Norway. It is believed to have originated in the region of Trøndelag, which was a hub for Norse culture and tradition during the Viking Age. The name is closely linked to the ancient Norwegian farm names Gundersrud and Gunnarrud.
In the 16th century, a Norwegian farmer named Jens Gundersen was mentioned in a land registry document, marking one of the earliest written records of the surname. Another notable early bearer of the name was Peder Gundersen, a Norwegian merchant and ship owner who lived in the late 17th century.
As the name spread across Norway and into other Scandinavian countries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Gundersen, Gunnarsen, and Gunnersen. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional variations in naming conventions.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Gundersen was the Norwegian explorer and polar researcher Nansen Gunnar Gundersen (1885-1967). He participated in several expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic regions, making significant contributions to the study of glaciology and meteorology.
Another notable figure was the Norwegian-American author and journalist Thomas Gundersen (1909-1993), who wrote extensively about the experiences of Norwegian immigrants in the United States. His works provided valuable insights into the cultural and social challenges faced by immigrant communities.
In the field of music, the Norwegian composer and organist Ludvig Mathias Gundersen (1839-1924) left a lasting impact with his compositions for church music and his work as an organist in several prominent churches in Oslo.
The surname Gundersen has also been associated with prominent figures in business and industry. One example is the Norwegian industrialist and shipping magnate Hilmar Gundersen (1908-2001), who built a successful shipping empire and was instrumental in the development of the Norwegian maritime industry.
Throughout its history, the surname Gundersen has remained closely tied to its Scandinavian roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the region. While the name has spread globally due to migration and immigration, it continues to be a distinctive surname with a strong connection to its Norse origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gundersen
Among Census respondents with the surname Gundersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gundersen 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 Gundersen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 2,204
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 70
- Two or more races2.9% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 29
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gundersen
Gundersen 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
#15,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,831
+143 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#12,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,445
+614 bearers (+33.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 3,719 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,835 | 1,688 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,883 | 1,831 | 0.62 | +143 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #12,164 | 2,445 | 0.82 | +614 bearers (+33.5%) | Up 3,719 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 Gundersen 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 | #15,883 | #12,164 | 23.4% |
| Count | 1,831 | 2,445 | 33.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.82 | 31.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gundersen bearers went from 1,831 to 2,445 (+33.5% change). The surname moved up 3,719 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,883 to #12,164.
FAQ
Gundersen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gundersen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,804 living Americans carry the surname Gundersen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,238 residents.
How common is Gundersen?
Gundersen ranks #12,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,445 people with the surname Gundersen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,804), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gundersen.
Has Gundersen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gundersen went from 1,831 recorded bearers to 2,445. That is an increase of 614 (+33.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,883 to #12,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Gundersen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gundersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Gundersen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,204 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gundersen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Gundersen (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 Gundersen mean?
A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "son of Gunnar". 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 Gundersen (0.82 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 Gundersen?
You can see how many people have the last name Gundersen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.