Hermanson
Son of Herman, a Germanic personal name meaning "army man."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,559 Americans carry the last name Hermanson. That puts it at #8,402 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hermanson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
4.6K
1 in 75,182
Census rank
#8,402
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,937 bearers of the surname Hermanson in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8402nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hermanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hermanson
The surname Hermanson is of Swedish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Herman." The name Herman is derived from the Germanic elements "heri" meaning army, and "man" meaning man. Thus, Hermanson literally means "son of the army man."
The earliest recorded instances of the Hermanson surname can be found in Swedish church records from the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Hans Hermanson, born in Västerås, Sweden in 1567. Another early bearer of the name was Olof Hermanson, a farmer from Småland, Sweden, who lived in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Hermanson name appears in various historical documents, such as land records and tax rolls. One notable individual was Johan Hermanson (1632-1708), a Swedish clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Strängnäs.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Hermanson surname spread across Sweden and into other Scandinavian countries. Several individuals with this name achieved prominence, including Carl Herman Hermanson (1773-1851), a Swedish businessman and landowner, and Nils Hermanson (1818-1899), a Norwegian painter and art professor.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Swedes bearing the Hermanson surname immigrated to the United States and other parts of the world. One notable American with this name was Charles Hermanson (1887-1962), a Swedish-American inventor and engineer who developed the first successful automatic transmission for automobiles.
Other notable individuals with the Hermanson surname include Gunnar Hermanson (1903-1991), a Swedish author and literary critic, and Hans Hermanson (1912-1998), a Swedish entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Hermanson Group, a major international conglomerate.
The Hermanson surname has remained prevalent in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, as well as among the Swedish diaspora around the world. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Sweden, the name has a rich history and has been borne by numerous notable individuals over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hermanson
Among Census respondents with the surname Hermanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hermanson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Hermanson surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7%
- Hispanic or Latino2.1%
- Two or more races1.2%
- Black or African American0.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Hermanson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,048 | #8,402 | -4.4% |
| Count | 3,801 | 3,937 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.33 | -5.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Hermanson bearers went from 3,801 to 3,937 (+3.6% change). The surname moved down 354 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,048 to #8,402.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hermanson
FAQ
Hermanson surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Hermanson?
The surname Hermanson holds position #8,402 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 4,559 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Hermanson surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hermanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.