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

Halvorson, 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 Halvorson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Halvorson in America

Halvorson is the 5520th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Halvorson surname appeared 6,298 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Halvorson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Halvorson 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 Halvorson

The surname Halvorson is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Norway. It dates back to the Viking era and the early medieval period. The name is a patronymic, meaning it was derived from the given name of the father or an ancestor. In this case, Halvorson is derived from the Old Norse name Hallvard, meaning "rock guardian."

The Hallvard name itself can be traced back to the 8th century and was quite common among the Norse people. It was often used as a first name, but over time, it evolved into a surname through the addition of the patronymic suffix "-son," which means "son of." This practice of forming surnames from a father's given name was widespread in Scandinavian countries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Halvorson surname can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents and charters dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various forms, such as Hallvardzson and Halvarsson, reflecting the linguistic evolution of the name over time.

During the Viking Age, the name Halvorson was likely associated with individuals who lived in coastal regions or near rocky areas, as the name's meaning suggests a connection to guarding or protecting rocks or cliffs. Some notable individuals with the Halvorson surname include:

1. Hallvard Halvorson (1840-1920), a Norwegian-American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
2. Nils Halvorson (1885-1966), a Norwegian-American artist known for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from Norway and the American West.
3. Lars Halvorson (1867-1945), a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and author who wrote extensively on theology and church history.
4. Kristine Halvorson (1891-1979), a Norwegian-American educator and author who published several books on Norwegian culture and traditions.
5. Bjørn Halvorson (1933-2010), a Norwegian businessman and entrepreneur who founded and led several successful companies in the energy and maritime sectors.

The name Halvorson has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations in Norway, such as Halvorsonvika, a small bay on the island of Senja, and Halvorsonbygda, a rural community in the municipality of Vestvågøy.

While the Halvorson surname has its roots in Norway, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in Scandinavian culture and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Halvorson

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

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

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

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