2000
#13,451
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,076
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Holmstrom
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the words "holm," meaning islet, and "ström," meaning stream or river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,336 Americans carry the last name Holmstrom. That puts it at #14,153 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holmstrom 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
2.3K
1 in 146,727
Census rank
#14,153
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,037 bearers of the surname Holmstrom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14153rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holmstrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holmstrom
The surname Holmstrom originated in Sweden during the late 16th century. It is a toponymic name derived from the Swedish words "holme" meaning a small island or a piece of land surrounded by streams, and "strom" meaning a stream or a current of water. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small island in a stream or river.
Holmstrom is a variation of the older Swedish surname Holmström, which can be traced back to the late 1500s. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in parish records from the Värmland region of western Sweden.
In the 17th century, the name Holmstrom began appearing in historical records and documents from other parts of Sweden, such as Stockholm and the surrounding areas. It was during this time that the surname became more widely established among the Swedish population.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Holmstrom was Anders Holmstrom, a farmer who lived in the village of Gräsmark, Värmland, in the late 16th century. Another early bearer of the name was Nils Holmstrom, a soldier who served in the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
In the 18th century, the Holmstrom surname was found in various regions of Sweden, including Västergötland, Östergötland, and Småland. One notable individual from this period was Carl Holmstrom (1720-1795), a merchant and ship owner from Gothenburg.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the Holmstrom surname made significant contributions to various fields. One such person was Johan Erik Holmstrom (1807-1881), a Swedish botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora of Scandinavia and Russia. Another was Carl Gustaf Holmstrom (1830-1893), a Swedish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister of Sweden in the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the Holmstrom surname continued to be prevalent in Sweden and other parts of Scandinavia. One notable bearer of the name was Ingrid Holmstrom (1904-1983), a Swedish actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and theater productions throughout her career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holmstrom
Among Census respondents with the surname Holmstrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Holmstrom 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 Holmstrom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,892
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 68
- Two or more races2.6% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holmstrom
Holmstrom 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
#13,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,189
+113 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 359 places
2020
#14,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,037
-152 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 343 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,451 | 2,076 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,810 | 2,189 | 0.74 | +113 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 359 places |
| 2020 | #14,153 | 2,037 | 0.68 | -152 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 343 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 Holmstrom 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 | #13,810 | #14,153 | -2.5% |
| Count | 2,189 | 2,037 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holmstrom bearers went from 2,189 to 2,037 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 343 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,810 to #14,153.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Holmstrom
FAQ
Holmstrom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holmstrom?
Name Census estimates that about 2,336 living Americans carry the surname Holmstrom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,727 residents.
How common is Holmstrom?
Holmstrom ranks #14,153 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,037 people with the surname Holmstrom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,336), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Holmstrom.
Has Holmstrom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holmstrom went from 2,189 recorded bearers to 2,037. That is a decrease of 152 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,810 to #14,153.
What does the Census say about the background of Holmstrom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holmstrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Holmstrom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,892 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holmstrom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Holmstrom (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 Holmstrom mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the words "holm," meaning islet, and "ström," meaning stream or river. 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 Holmstrom (0.68 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 have the last name Holmstrom?
Want to know how common the surname Holmstrom is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.