2000
#80,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Helgeland
A Norwegian surname referring to a coastal region of western Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 266 Americans carry the last name Helgeland. That puts it at #86,457 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,288,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Helgeland 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
266
1 in 1,288,550
Census rank
#86,457
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
232
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 232 bearers of the surname Helgeland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86457th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Helgeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Helgeland
The surname HELGELAND originates from Norway, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse words "helga" meaning "holy" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a sacred or consecrated land.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Norwegian records and documents, often associated with individuals from the western regions of Norway, particularly the areas around the Helgeland district in the county of Nordland.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Torstein Helgeland, a Norwegian nobleman and chieftain who lived in the 12th century. He was known for his involvement in the civil wars that took place during the reign of King Sverre of Norway.
In the 14th century, a man named Erling Helgeland was mentioned in the Icelandic sagas as a prominent landowner and farmer from the Helgeland region. These sagas provide valuable insights into the lives and activities of people with this surname during that era.
Another notable figure with the surname HELGELAND was Sigurd Helgeland, a Norwegian priest and scholar who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his work in translating and preserving ancient Norse texts and manuscripts.
During the 16th century, the name HELGELAND was associated with several prominent seafaring families in western Norway. One such individual was Olav Helgeland, a skilled navigator and ship captain who undertook voyages to Greenland and the Arctic regions.
In more recent times, Peder Helgeland (1844-1920) was a Norwegian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Norway in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in shaping Norway's foreign policy during a pivotal period in the country's history.
Throughout its history, the surname HELGELAND has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian origins and the Helgeland region, though bearers of the name can now be found in various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Helgeland
Among Census respondents with the surname Helgeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Helgeland 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 Helgeland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 222
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.3% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Helgeland
Helgeland 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
#87,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 212
-6 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 6,851 places
2020
#86,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 232
+20 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 1,206 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,812 | 218 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #87,663 | 212 | 0.07 | -6 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 6,851 places |
| 2020 | #86,457 | 232 | 0.08 | +20 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 1,206 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 Helgeland 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 | #87,663 | #86,457 | 1.4% |
| Count | 212 | 232 | 9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Helgeland bearers went from 212 to 232 (+9.4% change). The surname moved up 1,206 positions in the national ranking, going from #87,663 to #86,457.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Helgeland
FAQ
Helgeland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Helgeland?
Name Census estimates that about 266 living Americans carry the surname Helgeland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,288,550 residents.
How common is Helgeland?
Helgeland ranks #86,457 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 232 people with the surname Helgeland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (266), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Helgeland.
Has Helgeland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Helgeland went from 212 recorded bearers to 232. That is an increase of 20 (+9.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #87,663 to #86,457.
What does the Census say about the background of Helgeland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Helgeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (1.3%). 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 Helgeland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Helgeland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Hispanic (2.2%), Black (1.3%). 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 Helgeland (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 Helgeland mean?
A Norwegian surname referring to a coastal region of western Norway. 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 Helgeland (0.08 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 Americans have the surname Helgeland?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.