2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kvien
A surname derived from the Old Norse word "kvien" meaning meadow or grassland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Kvien. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kvien 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Kvien in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kvien, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kvien
The surname KVIEN has its origins in Norway, where it first appeared as a variant spelling of the more common Norwegian surname Kvien in the mid-16th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "kvíg," meaning "heifer" or "young cow," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational name for a cowherd or someone who worked with cattle.
The earliest recorded instance of the KVIEN surname dates back to 1567 in the parish records of Trondheim, Norway. At that time, the name was spelled "Kvienn" and referred to a farmer named Olav Kvienn, who owned land near the village of Kvien in Trøndelag county.
In the late 17th century, the KVIEN surname appears in the census records of the Stavanger region, where a family by the name of KVIEN was listed as residents of the village of Kvinen. This village likely took its name from the nearby Kvina River, which may have been named after the Old Norse word "kvíg" due to the presence of cattle grazing along its banks.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the KVIEN surname was Hans KVIEN (1725-1802), a farmer and local politician in the municipality of Bjerkreim, Norway. He served as a representative in the local government and played a role in the early development of the region's agricultural practices.
In the 19th century, the name gained some prominence with the birth of Torbjørn KVIEN (1842-1912), a Norwegian author and playwright who wrote several works depicting rural life and folk traditions in Norway. His most famous play, "Bygdekultur" (Village Culture), premiered in 1885 and was widely acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of Norwegian rural society.
Another notable figure with the KVIEN surname was Ingrid KVIEN (1888-1973), a Norwegian suffragette and activist for women's rights. She was a prominent figure in the Norwegian women's movement during the early 20th century and played a crucial role in campaigning for women's suffrage in Norway, which was achieved in 1913.
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, many individuals with the KVIEN surname immigrated to North America, particularly to the United States and Canada, seeking new opportunities and a better life. This led to the spread of the surname beyond its Norwegian origins, although it remains relatively uncommon outside of Scandinavia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kvien
Among Census respondents with the surname Kvien, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kvien 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 Kvien surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.9% · 6
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kvien
Kvien appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,289 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 Kvien 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 | #156,044 | #154,755 | 0.8% |
| Count | 104 | 102 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kvien bearers went from 104 to 102 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,755.
FAQ
Kvien surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kvien?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Kvien. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Kvien?
Kvien ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Kvien. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kvien.
Has Kvien become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kvien went from 104 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Kvien?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kvien, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Kvien in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kvien appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.9%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Kvien (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 Kvien mean?
A surname derived from the Old Norse word "kvien" meaning meadow or grassland. 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 Kvien (0.03 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 common is the surname Kvien?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Kvien on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.