2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kalstad
A locational surname derived from a farmstead or village in Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kalstad. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kalstad 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kalstad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kalstad
The surname Kalstad has its origins in Norway, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from a Norwegian place name, Kalstad, which means "the cold homestead" or "the cold farm." The name suggests that the original bearers of this surname lived in an area that was particularly cold and exposed to harsh weather conditions.
Kalstad is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a specific geographical location. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in various parish records and census data from the regions of Oppland and Hedmark in eastern Norway, where the villages of Kalstad are located.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the name Kalstad can be found in the records of the Norwegian National Archives, which date back to the late 16th century. These records include references to individuals such as Hans Kalstad, who was born in 1587 in the village of Kalstad, Hedmark.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Kalstad was Olav Kalstad, a farmer and landowner from the Oppland region. He was known for his contributions to the local community and his involvement in various agricultural initiatives.
During the 18th century, the name Kalstad appeared in several church records and census data from the Hedmark and Oppland regions. One notable individual from this time period was Knut Kalstad, a respected farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Kalstad, Oppland, from 1732 to 1812.
In the 19th century, the surname Kalstad gained recognition through the work of Inger Kalstad, a Norwegian author and poet who was born in 1828 in the village of Kalstad, Hedmark. Her literary works, which often explored themes of rural life and the Norwegian countryside, were celebrated for their vivid descriptions and emotional depth.
Another prominent figure with the surname Kalstad was Hans Kalstad, a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) in the late 19th century. He was born in 1842 in the village of Kalstad, Oppland, and played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Norway during his tenure.
Throughout its history, the surname Kalstad has maintained its strong connection to the Norwegian countryside and the rural communities from which it originated. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through migration and population movements, its roots remain firmly planted in the cold and rugged landscapes of eastern Norway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalstad
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kalstad 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 Kalstad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kalstad
Kalstad 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 730 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 Kalstad 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 | #149,395 | #148,665 | 0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 111 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kalstad bearers went from 110 to 111 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kalstad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kalstad?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kalstad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kalstad?
Kalstad ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Kalstad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kalstad.
Has Kalstad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kalstad went from 110 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kalstad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%). 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 Kalstad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kalstad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (9.0%). 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 Kalstad (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 Kalstad mean?
A locational surname derived from a farmstead or village in 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 Kalstad (0.04 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 Kalstad?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.