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

Laursen, 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 Laursen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laursen in America

Laursen is the 16100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laursen surname appeared 1,798 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Laursen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laursen 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 Laursen

The surname Laursen is of Danish origin, deriving from the personal name Laurentius, which itself comes from the Latin Laurentius meaning "from Laurentum". The name Laurentius was a common Christian name in medieval Scandinavia, referring to the 3rd century martyr St. Lawrence.

In Denmark, the surname Laursen emerged as an patronymic name, indicating "son of Laurentius" or "Laurs". Early records show variations in spelling such as Lauridsen, Lauritzen, and Laursen. The earliest known bearer of the name was Jens Laursen, mentioned in the Danish Census Book of 1645 as residing in Ribe, Jutland.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Laursen name was concentrated in the regions of Jutland and Zealand. Notable early bearers include Anders Laursen (1568-1644), a Danish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ribe, and Laurids Laursen (1619-1673), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Copenhagen.

The Laursen name can be found in various historical records, such as the Danish Census Books of the late 17th century, where families with the surname are listed in towns like Odense, Aalborg, and Roskilde. In the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of Denmark and gained more prominence.

One notable bearer was Niels Laursen Bredal (1733-1786), a Danish merchant and ship captain who played a significant role in the early Danish settlement of the Virgin Islands. Another was Jens Laursen Dampe (1790-1860), a Danish naval officer and polar explorer who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions.

In the 19th century, the Laursen name was associated with several notable figures, including Laurits Laursen (1823-1904), a Danish sculptor known for his works in Copenhagen, and Jens Laursen Friis (1831-1906), a Danish politician and Prime Minister of Denmark from 1875 to 1876.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Laursen throughout history, reflecting its Danish roots and the prominence of the name in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laursen

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

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

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

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