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

Kristofferson, 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 Kristofferson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kristofferson in America

Kristofferson is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kristofferson surname appeared 177 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 Kristofferson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kristofferson 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 Kristofferson

The surname Kristofferson is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Sweden and Norway, and it dates back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, meaning that it is derived from the given name of a father or an ancestor. The name Kristofferson is composed of two parts: "Kristoffer," which is the Scandinavian form of the name Christopher, and "son," indicating the son of someone named Kristoffer.

The name Christopher itself is of Greek origin, derived from the words "Christos" (Christ) and "phero" (to bear or carry), literally meaning "bearer of Christ." This name was popular among early Christians and was later adopted in various forms across Europe, including the Scandinavian variant Kristoffer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kristofferson can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical and fictional stories from the medieval period. The name is mentioned in the Laxdæla Saga, which dates back to the 13th century, referring to a character named Kristoffer Brandrsson.

In Sweden, a notable bearer of the name Kristofferson was Kristoffer Nilsson (1841-1923), a Swedish botanist and professor at the University of Lund. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was known for his extensive work on the flora of Scandinavia.

Another prominent figure with the surname Kristofferson was Kris Kristofferson (born 1936), an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his roles in films such as "A Star Is Born" (1976) and "Lone Star" (1996), as well as for his contributions to country music. Kris Kristofferson's family roots trace back to Sweden, and his surname reflects his Scandinavian heritage.

In Norway, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kristofferson can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. The name is mentioned in a document from the 14th century, referring to a person named Kristoffer Jonsson.

Another notable Norwegian with the surname Kristofferson was Kristoffer Uppdal (1872-1925), a writer and poet who was part of the Nynorsk literary movement. He is known for his novels and poetry collections, which explored themes of rural life and the Norwegian countryside.

Throughout history, the surname Kristofferson has been associated with various professions and fields, from academics and botanists to writers, poets, and even musicians and actors. While the exact origins of the name may be uncertain, its Scandinavian roots and connection to the name Christopher are well-established.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kristofferson

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

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

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

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