2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Lavik
A surname originating from a Norwegian village near the Lavik Fjord.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Lavik. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lavik 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Lavik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavik, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lavik
The surname LAVIK is believed to have originated in Norway, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a topographic name, derived from the Old Norse word "lavik," which means "small bay" or "inlet." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or in a small bay or inlet.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LAVIK can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents dating back to the 12th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a person named "Thorvald Lavik" from the year 1268.
The name LAVIK may also have ties to certain place names in Norway. For example, there is a village called Lavik located in the municipality of Bremanger, in the county of Vestland. The name of this village likely shares the same etymology as the surname, referring to its location near a small bay or inlet.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the surname LAVIK. One such person was Arne Lavik (1904-1976), a Norwegian author and journalist who wrote several books and articles on Norwegian culture and history. Another was Knut Lavik (1868-1946), a Norwegian politician and diplomat who served as the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1920 to 1921.
In the field of sports, there was Tor Lavik (born 1976), a Norwegian cross-country skier who competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Additionally, Stig Lavik (born 1983) is a Norwegian professional poker player who has won several major tournaments and has earned millions in prize money.
Another notable individual with the surname LAVIK was Inger Lavik (1932-2008), a Norwegian actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and theater productions throughout her career. Her contributions to Norwegian cinema and culture were significant, and she is remembered as one of the most influential actresses of her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lavik
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavik, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lavik 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 Lavik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lavik
Lavik 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+8 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,507 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 9,507 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 Lavik 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 | #159,712 | #150,205 | 6.0% |
| Count | 101 | 109 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lavik bearers went from 101 to 109 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 9,507 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Lavik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lavik?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Lavik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Lavik?
Lavik ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Lavik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Lavik.
Has Lavik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lavik went from 101 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 8 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Lavik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavik, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Lavik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lavik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Lavik (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 Lavik mean?
A surname originating from a Norwegian village near the Lavik Fjord. 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 Lavik (0.04 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 Lavik?
You can see how many people have the surname Lavik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.