2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Levanger
A habitational surname originating from the town of Levanger in Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Levanger. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Levanger 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Levanger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Levanger, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Levanger
The surname LEVANGER originated in Norway during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "lefning" and "ang," which together mean "remaining meadow" or "remaining field." This suggests that the name likely referred to a person who lived near or owned a specific meadow or field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEVANGER surname can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in a land transaction record from the year 1297, where a person named Thorvald LEVANGER is mentioned as a witness.
During the 14th century, the LEVANGER name gained prominence in the Trøndelag region of central Norway. It is believed that the name may have originated from a specific place called Levanger, which is now a town and municipality in the county of Trøndelag. The town's name was originally spelled "Lefvingiar" in Old Norse, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the place name.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Olav LEVANGER (1428-1491) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the Trondheim area. He is mentioned in several historical records as a wealthy and influential member of the local community.
Another historical figure with the LEVANGER surname was Ingrid LEVANGER (1562-1638), who was a respected midwife and herbalist in the town of Levanger. Her knowledge of traditional medicine and her contributions to the local community were well-documented in her time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the LEVANGER name spread to other parts of Norway, as well as to neighboring countries like Sweden and Denmark. In Sweden, a notable individual named Johan LEVANGER (1674-1742) was a prominent merchant and ship owner in the city of Gothenburg.
In the 19th century, a Norwegian writer and historian named Nils LEVANGER (1812-1879) gained recognition for his works on the history and culture of the Trøndelag region. His writings provided valuable insights into the origins and significance of surnames like LEVANGER in Norwegian society.
Throughout its history, the LEVANGER surname has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots and the specific geographic region from which it originated. While the name has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in central Norway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Levanger
Among Census respondents with the surname Levanger, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Levanger 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 Levanger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 120
Timeline
Historical Census data for Levanger
Levanger 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+10 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 7,346 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 Levanger 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 | #149,395 | #142,049 | 4.9% |
| Count | 110 | 120 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Levanger bearers went from 110 to 120 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 7,346 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,049.
FAQ
Levanger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Levanger?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Levanger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Levanger?
Levanger ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Levanger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Levanger.
Has Levanger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Levanger went from 110 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 10 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Levanger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Levanger, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Levanger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Levanger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Levanger (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 Levanger mean?
A habitational surname originating from the town of Levanger in Norway. 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 Levanger (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 many Americans have the surname Levanger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.