Find out how popular the last name Magnusson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Magnusson.

Magnusson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Magnusson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Magnusson in America

Magnusson is the 14842nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Magnusson surname appeared 1,996 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Magnusson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Magnusson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Magnusson

The surname Magnusson is of Scandinavian origin, with its roots firmly planted in the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. It emerged during the Viking Age, a period spanning from the late 8th century to the late 11th century.

Magnusson is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the given name of the father or a patrilineal ancestor. In this case, Magnusson translates to "son of Magnus," with Magnus being a prominent Scandinavian name derived from the Latin word "magnus," meaning "great" or "mighty."

The earliest known records of the name Magnusson can be traced back to the 11th century, appearing in ancient Norse sagas and manuscripts. One notable figure from this era was Magnús Óláfsson Magnusson, a Norwegian king who ruled from 1035 to 1047 and was known for his military exploits and efforts to unite Norway under his rule.

In the 12th century, the Magnusson name gained prominence in Iceland, where it was borne by several influential individuals. One such notable figure was Snorri Sturluson Magnusson (1179-1241), a renowned Icelandic historian, poet, and politician who played a crucial role in preserving and documenting the Old Norse literature and mythology.

The name also appeared in various medieval records, including the Landnámabók, an Icelandic book documenting the settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries. This text mentions several individuals with the Magnusson surname, indicating its widespread use among early Icelandic settlers.

As the Vikings and their descendants expanded their influence across Europe, the Magnusson name spread to other regions. In the 13th century, a Norwegian nobleman named Magnús Hákonarson Magnusson served as the Duke of Sweden and played a significant role in the political landscape of Scandinavia.

In the 16th century, the Magnusson name gained prominence in Denmark with the birth of Arild Huitfeldt Magnusson (1546-1609), a Danish statesman, historian, and chronicler who documented the history of Denmark and other Nordic countries.

Other notable figures bearing the Magnusson surname include Jon Magnusson (1609-1684), an Icelandic mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the study of celestial mechanics, and Árni Magnússon (1663-1730), an Icelandic scholar and antiquarian who amassed a vast collection of medieval Icelandic manuscripts, now known as the Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection.

Throughout history, the Magnusson surname has been associated with various place names and geographical locations across Scandinavia, such as Magnussons in Sweden, Magnussons in Norway, and Magnussons in Iceland, reflecting the widespread distribution of this name among the Nordic populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Magnusson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Magnusson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Magnusson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Magnusson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Magnusson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Magnusson, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!