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

Gustavson, 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 Gustavson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gustavson in America

Gustavson is the 17406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gustavson surname appeared 1,621 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 Gustavson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gustavson 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 Gustavson

The surname Gustavson is of Swedish origin, stemming from the personal name Gustav, which itself is derived from the Old Norse name Guðlaugr, meaning "god's warrior." This name first gained popularity during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century.

Gustavson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the given name Gustav, indicating "son of Gustav." This naming convention was common in Scandinavia, where patronymic surnames were widely used to denote family lineage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gustavson can be found in the Swedish Census records from the 17th century. These records document individuals with this surname residing in various regions of Sweden, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country.

Historically, the Gustavson surname has been associated with several notable figures. One prominent example is Johan Gustavson (1776-1853), a Swedish chemist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the field of analytical chemistry. He is known for his work on the analysis of minerals and the development of analytical techniques.

Another notable bearer of the Gustavson surname was Axel Gustavson (1853-1935), a Swedish-American businessman and philanthropist. He emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and became a successful entrepreneur in the mining industry. He later established the Gustavson Foundation, which supported various educational and charitable initiatives.

In the literary realm, the Swedish author Elin Gustavson (1882-1957) gained recognition for her novels and short stories depicting rural life in Sweden. Her works, such as "Storgårdens dotter" (The Daughter of the Manor), provided insightful portrayals of the social and cultural dynamics of Swedish society during her time.

Another notable figure was Carl Gustavson (1890-1976), a Swedish-American architect who made significant contributions to the architectural landscape of Los Angeles, California. His design work included notable buildings such as the Villa Aurora and the Swedish American Hall in Los Angeles.

Finally, it is worth mentioning Harald Gustavson (1910-1993), a Swedish military officer and diplomat. He served as the Chief of the Swedish Air Force during the 1960s and later held diplomatic positions, including serving as Sweden's ambassador to the United Kingdom in the 1970s.

These examples demonstrate the widespread use and prominence of the Gustavson surname throughout history, with individuals from various fields and backgrounds bearing this name. While the name's origins can be traced back to Sweden, it has since spread and been adopted in other regions, reflecting the global reach of Swedish migration and cultural influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gustavson

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

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

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

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