2000
#9,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,027
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Lofgren
Swedish surname derived from the words "lof" meaning "leaf" and "gren" meaning "branch," likely referring to a person's dwelling place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,425 Americans carry the last name Lofgren. That puts it at #10,266 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lofgren 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
3.4K
1 in 100,074
Census rank
#10,266
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,987 bearers of the surname Lofgren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10266th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lofgren
The surname Lofgren has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is a topographic name, derived from the Old Swedish words "lof" meaning "leafy" and "gren" meaning "branch," suggesting a connection to a place with lush vegetation or a wooded area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Swedish parish registers from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One notable entry is the baptism record of Sven Lofgren in Västra Husby parish, Östergötland, in 1620.
The name Lofgren has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Nils Lofgren, a Swedish military officer and landowner who lived in the late 17th century. He served as a captain in the Swedish army during the Great Northern War (1700-1721).
In the 19th century, Johan Lofgren (1823-1892) was a Swedish botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora of Australia and New Zealand. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life in those regions.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Nils Lofgren (1912-1986), a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He held numerous patents and was instrumental in the development of various technologies, including the modern-day zipper.
Ingrid Lofgren (1924-2008) was a Swedish actress who gained recognition for her performances in several Swedish films and television series throughout the 20th century.
More recently, Nils Lofgren (born 1951) is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has had a successful career as a solo artist and has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984.
Although the name Lofgren has its roots in Sweden, it has spread across various parts of the world, particularly through migration and intermarriage. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above highlight the Swedish origin and significance of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lofgren
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lofgren 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 Lofgren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,719
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 108
- Two or more races3.1% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lofgren
Lofgren 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
#10,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,109
+82 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 519 places
2020
#10,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,987
-122 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,850 | 3,027 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,369 | 3,109 | 1.05 | +82 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 519 places |
| 2020 | #10,266 | 2,987 | 1.00 | -122 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 103 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 Lofgren 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 | #10,369 | #10,266 | 1.0% |
| Count | 3,109 | 2,987 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.00 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lofgren bearers went from 3,109 to 2,987 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 103 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,369 to #10,266.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lofgren
FAQ
Lofgren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lofgren?
Name Census estimates that about 3,425 living Americans carry the surname Lofgren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,074 residents.
How common is Lofgren?
Lofgren ranks #10,266 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,987 people with the surname Lofgren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,425), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lofgren.
Has Lofgren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lofgren went from 3,109 recorded bearers to 2,987. That is a decrease of 122 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,369 to #10,266.
What does the Census say about the background of Lofgren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofgren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) 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 Lofgren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,719 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lofgren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), 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 Lofgren (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 Lofgren mean?
Swedish surname derived from the words "lof" meaning "leaf" and "gren" meaning "branch," likely referring to a person's dwelling place. 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 Lofgren (1.00 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 last name Lofgren?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Lofgren on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.