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

Jorstad, 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 Jorstad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jorstad in America

Jorstad is the 41038th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jorstad surname appeared 531 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 Jorstad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jorstad 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 Jorstad

The surname Jorstad has its origins in Norway, and it is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "jǫrð" meaning "earth" or "land" and "staðr" meaning "place" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in a particular settlement or location, possibly near fertile farmland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jorstad appears in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. In this source, the name is spelled "Jorstadæ," indicating its ancient origins and the evolution of its spelling over time.

During the Viking Age, many Norwegians migrated and settled in various parts of Europe, including Britain and Ireland. It is possible that some individuals bearing the name Jorstad may have been among these early settlers, contributing to the spread and variations of the name across different regions.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Thorvald Jorstad was mentioned in the Icelandic Annals as a skilled navigator and explorer. He is believed to have ventured to Greenland and may have been one of the first Europeans to set foot on the North American continent, predating the more well-known voyages of Christopher Columbus.

Another notable individual with the surname Jorstad was Ingrid Jorstad, born in 1672 in the village of Voss, Norway. She was a respected herbalist and midwife, renowned for her knowledge of traditional Norwegian folk remedies and her compassionate care for expectant mothers.

In the 19th century, a Norwegian immigrant named Hans Jorstad settled in the Midwest region of the United States, becoming one of the pioneers in the farming community of Jorstad, Minnesota. This town was eventually named after him, further cementing the presence of the surname in American history.

The Jorstad name has also been associated with various place names in Norway, such as the farm Jorstad Gård in the municipality of Gjerstad, Aust-Agder county. This farm has been in existence since the Middle Ages and may have been the original place from which the surname derived its name.

While the surname Jorstad is not as common as some other Norwegian names, it has persisted throughout history, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including exploration, agriculture, and traditional medicine.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jorstad

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

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

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

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