2000
#23,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 999
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Hallgren
A Swedish surname derived from the Old Norse words "hallr" meaning "slope" or "hill" and "gren" meaning "branch" or "bough."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,175 Americans carry the last name Hallgren. That puts it at #25,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 291,706 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hallgren 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
1.2K
1 in 291,706
Census rank
#25,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,025 bearers of the surname Hallgren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hallgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hallgren
The surname HALLGREN is of Swedish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a toponymic name, derived from a place name that refers to a specific geographical location or region.
The name HALLGREN is believed to have originated from the Old Norse words "hallr" meaning "slope" or "hill," and "gren" meaning "branch" or "twig." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived near or in an area characterized by sloping terrain or hillside with branching trees or vegetation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HALLGREN surname can be found in the Swedish census records from the late 16th century. These records mention several families with variations of the name, such as Hallgrem, Hallgren, and Hallgreendt, residing in various parts of southern Sweden, including the provinces of Småland and Östergötland.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the HALLGREN name became more prevalent in Sweden, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Johan Hallgren (1677-1742), a Swedish clergyman and author who served as a vicar in the town of Västervik and wrote several religious works.
Another historically significant figure with the HALLGREN surname was Carl Gustaf Hallgren (1775-1855), a Swedish military officer and cartographer. He served in the Swedish army during the Napoleonic Wars and is credited with creating detailed maps of various regions in Sweden, which were instrumental in military operations and regional planning.
In the 19th century, the HALLGREN name gained international recognition with the birth of Ivar Hallgren (1826-1901), a Swedish-American inventor and engineer. He emigrated to the United States in the 1850s and is best known for his contributions to the development of early telephone technology, working alongside Alexander Graham Bell.
Another notable individual with the HALLGREN surname was Karin Hallgren (1888-1968), a Swedish author and educator. She wrote several books for children and young adults, focusing on themes of nature, adventure, and Swedish folklore. Her works were widely popular and helped to promote the cultural heritage of Sweden.
As the HALLGREN surname spread beyond Sweden, it also became associated with various place names and locations. For example, the town of Hallgren in Minnesota, United States, was named after a Swedish immigrant family who settled in the area in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hallgren
Among Census respondents with the surname Hallgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hallgren 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 Hallgren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 951
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 47
- Two or more races1.6% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 9
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hallgren
Hallgren 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
#24,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,036
+37 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 565 places
2020
#25,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,025
-11 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 1,061 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,657 | 999 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,222 | 1,036 | 0.35 | +37 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 565 places |
| 2020 | #25,283 | 1,025 | 0.34 | -11 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 1,061 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 Hallgren 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 | #24,222 | #25,283 | -4.4% |
| Count | 1,036 | 1,025 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.34 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hallgren bearers went from 1,036 to 1,025 (-1.1% change). The surname moved down 1,061 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,222 to #25,283.
FAQ
Hallgren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hallgren?
Name Census estimates that about 1,175 living Americans carry the surname Hallgren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 291,706 residents.
How common is Hallgren?
Hallgren ranks #25,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,025 people with the surname Hallgren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,175), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Hallgren.
Has Hallgren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hallgren went from 1,036 recorded bearers to 1,025. That is a decrease of 11 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,222 to #25,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Hallgren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hallgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Hallgren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (951 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hallgren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Hallgren (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 Hallgren mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the Old Norse words "hallr" meaning "slope" or "hill" and "gren" meaning "branch" or "bough." 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 Hallgren (0.34 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 Hallgren?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hallgren on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.