2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lyngaas
A Scandinavian surname derived from a place name that means "heather meadow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Lyngaas. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lyngaas 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Lyngaas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lyngaas, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lyngaas
The surname Lyngaas has its origins in Norway, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "lyng" meaning heather and "ås" meaning ridge, suggesting that it was likely a toponymic surname referring to a place or area with a heather-covered ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and charters. In a document dated 1348, a person named Thorkel Lyngaas is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the region of Oppland.
The Lyngaas surname is closely associated with the Lyngaas farm, located in the municipality of Øyer in Oppland county. This farm dates back to the 16th century and was likely the ancestral home of many individuals bearing the Lyngaas name.
Notable individuals with the Lyngaas surname include Jørgen Lyngaas (1652-1720), a Norwegian farmer and local politician who served as a representative in the Oppland county council. Another significant figure was Hans Lyngaas (1774-1846), a renowned woodcarver and folk artist known for his intricate decorative works adorning churches and buildings in the Gudbrandsdalen valley.
In the 19th century, Ole Lyngaas (1825-1892) gained recognition as a master stonemason and builder, contributing to the construction of several prominent structures in the Oppland region. His son, Ola Lyngaas (1860-1932), followed in his footsteps and became a respected architect, designing numerous churches and public buildings throughout Norway.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Lyngaas name spread beyond Norway as some individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. One notable example is Nils Lyngaas (1875-1958), who settled in the United States and became a successful businessman and philanthropist in the state of Minnesota.
Throughout its history, the Lyngaas surname has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots, particularly in the Oppland county and the Gudbrandsdalen valley. While the name has undergone some variations in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period and the Old Norse language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lyngaas
Among Census respondents with the surname Lyngaas, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lyngaas 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 Lyngaas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 116
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lyngaas
Lyngaas 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-4 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,329 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 11,329 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,925 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 Lyngaas 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 | #133,863 | #142,788 | -6.7% |
| Count | 126 | 119 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lyngaas bearers went from 126 to 119 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,788.
FAQ
Lyngaas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lyngaas?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Lyngaas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Lyngaas?
Lyngaas ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Lyngaas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Lyngaas.
Has Lyngaas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lyngaas went from 126 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Lyngaas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lyngaas, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Lyngaas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lyngaas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Black (0.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Lyngaas (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 Lyngaas mean?
A Scandinavian surname derived from a place name that means "heather meadow." 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 Lyngaas (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 Lyngaas?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Lyngaas at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.