2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kammerud
Valley dweller or person from a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144 Americans carry the last name Kammerud. That puts it at #137,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,380,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kammerud 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
144
1 in 2,380,238
Census rank
#137,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126 bearers of the surname Kammerud in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 137553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kammerud, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kammerud
The surname Kammerud is of Norwegian origin, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "kammr" meaning "comb" or "ridge" and "ruð" meaning "clearing" or "patch of land". It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Norway, particularly in the areas surrounding the city of Stavanger.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Kammrudr" and "Kammerrud", suggesting its evolution over time.
In the 14th century, a prominent individual named Thorvald Kammerud was mentioned in the Icelandic Annals, a historical record of events in Iceland. He was a Norwegian merchant who traveled extensively throughout the North Atlantic region, conducting trade with various settlements.
During the 16th century, the Kammerud name gained further recognition with the birth of Hans Kammerud (1525-1598), a respected Lutheran clergyman and theologian. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Norway and was known for his scholarly works on religious texts.
Another notable figure with the surname Kammerud was Ingrid Kammerud (1670-1742), a Norwegian landowner and businesswoman. She inherited a substantial estate from her father and became influential in the local community, managing her properties and investments with great acumen.
In the 19th century, the name gained international recognition with the birth of Olav Kammerud (1825-1901), a Norwegian-American explorer and adventurer. He participated in several expeditions to the Arctic region and is credited with discovering several islands in the Svalbard archipelago.
Throughout its history, the Kammerud surname has been associated with various professions, including farming, maritime trades, clergy, and business. The name has maintained a strong presence in Norway, particularly in the western and southern regions, where many of its earliest bearers originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kammerud
Among Census respondents with the surname Kammerud, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kammerud 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 Kammerud surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kammerud
Kammerud 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+17 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,012 places
2020
#137,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,728 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 6,012 places |
| 2020 | #137,553 | 126 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 7,728 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 Kammerud 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 | #129,825 | #137,553 | -6.0% |
| Count | 131 | 126 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kammerud bearers went from 131 to 126 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 7,728 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #137,553.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kammerud
FAQ
Kammerud surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kammerud?
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the surname Kammerud. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,380,238 residents.
How common is Kammerud?
Kammerud ranks #137,553 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 126 people with the surname Kammerud. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144), 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 Kammerud.
Has Kammerud become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kammerud went from 131 recorded bearers to 126. That is a decrease of 5 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #137,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Kammerud?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kammerud, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Kammerud in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kammerud appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (1.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Kammerud (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 Kammerud mean?
Valley dweller or person from a valley. 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 Kammerud (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 people have the surname Kammerud?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.