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

Kristjanson, 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 Kristjanson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kristjanson in America

Kristjanson is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kristjanson surname appeared 172 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 Kristjanson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kristjanson 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 Kristjanson

The surname Kristjanson has its origins in Iceland, where it emerged in the medieval period as a patronymic name derived from the given name Kristján, which is the Icelandic form of the name Christian. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries, when it was commonly used across Iceland.

Kristjanson is a compound name, formed by combining the given name Kristján with the Old Norse suffix "-son," which literally means "son of." This naming convention was prevalent in Scandinavian countries, where patronymic surnames were widely adopted to indicate a person's lineage and familial connections.

During the Viking Age, when Icelanders began settling in various parts of the British Isles and other regions, the name Kristjanson likely spread to these areas, leading to variations in spelling and pronunciation over time. Some early recorded instances of individuals bearing this surname can be found in historical records from the British Isles, such as the Domesday Book of 1086.

One notable bearer of the Kristjanson surname was Ólafur Kristjanson, an Icelandic farmer and poet who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is remembered for his contributions to Icelandic literature and his preservation of traditional Icelandic folktales and sagas.

Another prominent figure was Kristján Kristjanson (1841-1917), an Icelandic-Canadian politician and journalist who played a significant role in the early development of the Icelandic community in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and was an advocate for the rights of Icelandic immigrants.

In the realm of Icelandic literature, Guðmundur Kristjanson (1888-1958) was a respected author and poet known for his works that explored themes of rural life and Icelandic identity. His novel "Snæfríð" (Snowflake) is considered a classic of Icelandic literature.

Jón Kristjanson (1905-1987) was an Icelandic-Canadian architect who made significant contributions to the architectural landscape of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He designed numerous buildings, including the Winnipeg Centennial Library and the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature.

Lastly, Björn Kristjanson (1874-1958) was an Icelandic-American farmer and politician who served as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives and played a prominent role in the Icelandic community in North Dakota.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Kristjanson throughout history, highlighting its deep roots in Icelandic culture and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kristjanson

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!