2000
#4,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,256
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.69
Rare Last name
Lindgren
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the words "lind" (linden tree) and "gren" (branch), referring to a place of linden trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,004 Americans carry the last name Lindgren. That puts it at #4,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lindgren 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 Lindgren with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,823
Census rank
#4,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,980 bearers of the surname Lindgren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lindgren
The surname Lindgren originates from Sweden, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is a locational name derived from the Swedish word "lind," meaning a linden or lime tree, and "gren," meaning a branch or bough. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a linden tree or a place where linden trees grew abundantly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lindgren can be found in the Swedish Church records from the late 16th century. These records document individuals with the surname Lindgren residing in various parts of Sweden, particularly in the regions of Småland, Västergötland, and Östergötland.
In the 17th century, the name Lindgren appeared in several Swedish historical documents, including tax records and land registers. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Johan Lindgren, a merchant from Gothenburg, born in 1623, and Anna Lindgren, a landowner from Värmland, born in 1671.
As Sweden expanded its territories during the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Lindgren spread to other parts of the Swedish realm, including Finland and the Baltic states. In the 19th century, several Lindgrens emigrated from Sweden to North America, particularly to the United States and Canada, contributing to the dissemination of the name in those regions.
Some notable individuals with the surname Lindgren throughout history include:
1. Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), a renowned Swedish author best known for her children's book series featuring characters like Pippi Longstocking.
2. Erik Lindgren (1808-1887), a Swedish botanist and Professor of Botany at the University of Uppsala.
3. Arvid Lindgren (1892-1958), a Swedish sports shooter who won two gold medals at the 1912 and 1920 Summer Olympics.
4. Carl Lindgren (1859-1923), a Swedish-American architect who designed several notable buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
5. Kari Lindgren (born 1952), a Finnish politician and member of the European Parliament.
The surname Lindgren continues to be prevalent in Scandinavia and among Swedish diaspora communities worldwide, serving as a reminder of its historical roots and connection to the linden tree.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lindgren
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lindgren 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 Lindgren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 6,372
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 230
- Two or more races3.1% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 58
- Black or African American0.4% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lindgren
Lindgren 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
#4,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,300
+44 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Down 332 places
2020
#4,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,980
-320 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.34
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,502 | 7,256 | 2.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,834 | 7,300 | 2.47 | +44 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 332 places |
| 2020 | #4,899 | 6,980 | 2.34 | -320 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 65 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 Lindgren 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 | #4,834 | #4,899 | -1.3% |
| Count | 7,300 | 6,980 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.47 | 2.34 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lindgren bearers went from 7,300 to 6,980 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,834 to #4,899.
FAQ
Lindgren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lindgren?
Name Census estimates that about 8,004 living Americans carry the surname Lindgren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,823 residents.
How common is Lindgren?
Lindgren ranks #4,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,980 people with the surname Lindgren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lindgren.
Has Lindgren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lindgren went from 7,300 recorded bearers to 6,980. That is a decrease of 320 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,834 to #4,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Lindgren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Lindgren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (6,372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lindgren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Lindgren (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 Lindgren mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the words "lind" (linden tree) and "gren" (branch), referring to a place of linden trees. 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 Lindgren (2.34 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 Lindgren?
Find out how many people are called Lindgren on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.