2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Liljenberg
A Swedish surname derived from the Swedish words "lilja" (lily) and "berg" (mountain or hill), possibly referring to a geographic origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Liljenberg. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liljenberg 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Liljenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liljenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liljenberg
The surname Liljenberg originates from Sweden, and it dates back to the 17th century. The name is derived from the Swedish words "lilja" meaning "lily" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill." It was likely an ornamental surname given to someone who lived near a hill or mountain where lilies grew.
The earliest known records of the Liljenberg surname can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 1600s. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Johan Liljenberg, born in 1685 in Värmland County, Sweden.
In the 18th century, the Liljenberg name appeared in various Swedish military records, indicating that some bearers of this name served in the Swedish armed forces during that time period. One notable figure was Carl Gustaf Liljenberg (1724-1795), a Swedish army officer who fought in the Pomeranian War.
During the 19th century, the Liljenberg surname spread throughout Sweden, with families residing in various regions such as Dalarna, Västmanland, and Stockholm. One prominent individual from this era was Lars Johan Liljenberg (1809-1874), a Swedish politician and member of the Swedish Parliament.
In the early 20th century, the Liljenberg name gained recognition in the field of science with the Swedish botanist and plant pathologist Sven Gunnar Liljenberg (1885-1957), who made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases.
Another notable bearer of this surname was the Swedish writer and poet Karin Liljenberg (1914-1998), whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her poetic collections, such as "Stenblommor" (Stone Flowers) and "Irrande Bris" (Wandering Breeze), garnered critical acclaim.
While the Liljenberg surname is primarily associated with Sweden, it has also been found in other Scandinavian countries and regions with Swedish diaspora communities, such as Finland and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liljenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Liljenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Liljenberg 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 Liljenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 90
- Two or more races11.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Liljenberg
Liljenberg 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,736 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 Liljenberg 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 | #147,253 | #152,989 | -3.9% |
| Count | 112 | 105 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Liljenberg bearers went from 112 to 105 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,989.
FAQ
Liljenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Liljenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Liljenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Liljenberg?
Liljenberg ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Liljenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Liljenberg.
Has Liljenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Liljenberg went from 112 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Liljenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liljenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Liljenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Liljenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Two or More Races (11.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Liljenberg (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 Liljenberg mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the Swedish words "lilja" (lily) and "berg" (mountain or hill), possibly referring to a geographic origin. 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 Liljenberg (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 people have the surname Liljenberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.