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

Larson, 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 Larson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Larson in America

Larson is the 247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Larson surname appeared 122,587 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 42 people would have the surname Larson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Larson 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 Larson

The surname Larson originated in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the father's given name, Lars. Lars is an ancient Scandinavian name that can be traced back to the Old Norse name Laurits or Laurence, which means "from Laurentum" or "laurel plant."

Larson is a common surname in Sweden and Norway, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Swedish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Nils Larson, a Swedish farmer who lived in the village of Södra Råda in the late 16th century.

The name Larson is also found in historical records from other parts of Scandinavia, such as Denmark and Iceland. In Iceland, the name is often spelled Laurusson or Laursson, reflecting the Old Norse influence on Icelandic naming traditions.

One notable historical figure with the surname Larson was Carl Larsson (1853-1919), a Swedish painter and interior designer who is renowned for his depictions of domestic life and Swedish folklore. His works, such as the frescoes in the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm, are considered iconic representations of Swedish culture.

Another famous Larson was Johan Alfred Larsson (1887-1965), a Swedish entrepreneur and businessman who founded the Larsons Confectionery Company, which became one of the largest producers of candies and chocolates in Scandinavia.

In the field of literature, Stieg Larsson (1954-2004) was a Swedish author and journalist best known for his Millennium crime novel trilogy, which includes the international bestseller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." His books have been translated into numerous languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Hjalmar Larsson (1865-1917) was a Swedish-American painter and illustrator who is known for his depictions of rural life in Sweden and the American West. He was a member of the Scandinavian-American artists' colony in Lindsborg, Kansas.

Lastly, Eskil Larsson (1825-1887) was a Swedish-American pioneer and settler who helped establish the Swedish colony of Bishop Hill in Illinois, which became an important center of Swedish culture and traditions in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Larson

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

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

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

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