2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Haakonson
A Norwegian patronymic surname derived from the given name Haakon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Haakonson. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haakonson 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Haakonson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haakonson, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haakonson
The surname Haakonson has its origins in Norway, deriving from the Old Norse personal name Håkon. This name likely emerged during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. The suffix "-son" indicates the patronymic naming tradition, where a person's surname was formed by adding "-son" (meaning "son of") to their father's given name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Haakonson can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often mention individuals with this surname, suggesting its widespread use among Scandinavian populations during that period.
The name Håkon itself is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "hár" (high) and "konr" (descendant or son), potentially signifying a person of noble or elevated lineage. This connection to Viking nobility and ancestry may have contributed to the name's endurance and prevalence throughout Scandinavian history.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Haakon Haakonson (1204-1263) reigned as the King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign was marked by significant territorial expansion and the strengthening of Norway's position as a major maritime power in the region.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Eirik Haakonson (c. 1268-1319), a Norwegian nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Norwegian-Swedish conflicts of the early 14th century. He is particularly known for his victory at the Battle of Vågåvåll in 1308.
During the 15th century, a Norwegian explorer named Haakon Haakonson (c. 1420-1490) is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot in North America. His expeditions to the lands west of Greenland, known as Vinland, are documented in various Icelandic annals and sagas.
In the 17th century, a Norwegian-Danish naval officer named Haakon Haakonson (1635-1704) distinguished himself in several conflicts, including the Second Northern War and the Scanian War. His exploits earned him a reputation as a skilled tactician and a fierce defender of Danish interests.
As the surname spread beyond Norway, it also took on various spellings and adaptations in different regions. In Sweden, for instance, the name was sometimes rendered as Håkansson or Hokanson, reflecting the local linguistic and orthographic conventions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haakonson
Among Census respondents with the surname Haakonson, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Haakonson 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 Haakonson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haakonson
Haakonson appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 950 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 950 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 Haakonson 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 | #145,220 | #144,270 | 0.7% |
| Count | 114 | 117 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haakonson bearers went from 114 to 117 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 950 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #144,270.
FAQ
Haakonson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haakonson?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Haakonson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Haakonson?
Haakonson ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Haakonson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Haakonson.
Has Haakonson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haakonson went from 114 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Haakonson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haakonson, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Haakonson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haakonson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Haakonson (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 Haakonson mean?
A Norwegian patronymic surname derived from the given name Haakon. 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 Haakonson (0.04 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 have the surname Haakonson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.