2000
#224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 44.88
Common Last name
Larson
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Lars" or "son of Laurence."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134,673 Americans carry the last name Larson. That puts it at #257 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 39.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,545 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Larson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
135K
1 in 2,545
Census rank
#257
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
39.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117,441 bearers of the surname Larson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 39.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 257th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larson
Among Census respondents with the surname Larson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Larson 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 Larson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 108,315
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3,402
- Two or more races2.9% · 3,400
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1,066
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 713
- Black or African American0.5% · 545
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larson
Larson 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
#247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122,587
+1,523 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 41.56
Rank movement Down 23 places
2020
#257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117,441
-5,146 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 39.29
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #224 | 121,064 | 44.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #247 | 122,587 | 41.56 | +1,523 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 23 places |
| 2020 | #257 | 117,441 | 39.29 | -5,146 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 10 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 Larson 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 | #247 | #257 | -4.0% |
| Count | 122,587 | 117,441 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 41.56 | 39.29 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larson bearers went from 122,587 to 117,441 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #247 to #257.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Larson
FAQ
Larson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larson?
Name Census estimates that about 134,673 living Americans carry the surname Larson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,545 residents.
How common is Larson?
Larson ranks #257 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 39.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 39 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117,441 people with the surname Larson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134,673), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 39.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 39.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 39 of them to have the surname Larson.
Has Larson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larson went from 122,587 recorded bearers to 117,441. That is a decrease of 5,146 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #247 to #257.
What does the Census say about the background of Larson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Larson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (108,315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Larson (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 Larson mean?
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Lars" or "son of Laurence." 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 Larson (39.29 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 are called Larson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Larson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.