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

Heyerdahl, 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 Heyerdahl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heyerdahl in America

Heyerdahl is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heyerdahl surname appeared 174 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Heyerdahl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heyerdahl 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 Heyerdahl

The surname HEYERDAHL is of Norwegian origin, originating from the western regions of the country. It is believed to have derived from the old Norse words "hey" meaning "hay" and "dahl" meaning "valley" or "dale." The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 13th century as "Håheydalen."

Records from the 14th century indicate that the name was associated with individuals living in the Håheydalur valley, located in the present-day municipality of Norddal in Møre og Romsdal county. This valley, known for its fertile lands suitable for hay cultivation, likely gave rise to the surname as a descriptive identifier.

The HEYERDAHL name can be found in several historical documents from the region, including the Gulating Law, a provincial law code from the 13th century. One notable figure bearing this surname was Eirik HEYERDAHL (1478-1543), a prominent landowner and chieftain in Sunnmøre, who played a role in the Norwegian Reformation.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, such as "Heidalen," "Heidalen," and "Heydalen," reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. In the 18th century, the spelling "HEYERDAHL" became more standardized.

One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was Thor HEYERDAHL (1914-2002), a Norwegian explorer and ethnographer. He gained international fame for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, where he sailed a raft across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to the Tuamotu Islands, demonstrating the possibility of prehistoric human migration from South America to Polynesia.

Other notable figures include Kristian HEYERDAHL (1856-1931), a Norwegian politician and Minister of Labor; Thorvald HEYERDAHL (1861-1927), a Norwegian lawyer and judge; and Bjarne HEYERDAHL (1896-1975), a Norwegian businessman and founder of the Heyerdahl Maskinfabrikk company.

The HEYERDAHL surname has maintained a strong presence in Norway, particularly in the western regions, and has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and family connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heyerdahl

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

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

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

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