2000
#14,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,844
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Magnusson
Son of Magnus, a Scandinavian given name derived from the Latin word "magnus," meaning "great."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,040 Americans carry the last name Magnusson. That puts it at #15,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,017 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magnusson 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
2.0K
1 in 168,017
Census rank
#15,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,779 bearers of the surname Magnusson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magnusson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magnusson
Among Census respondents with the surname Magnusson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Magnusson 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 Magnusson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 1,655
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 57
- Two or more races2.5% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magnusson
Magnusson 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
#14,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,996
+152 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 71 places
2020
#15,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,779
-217 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 946 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,771 | 1,844 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,842 | 1,996 | 0.68 | +152 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 71 places |
| 2020 | #15,788 | 1,779 | 0.60 | -217 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 946 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 Magnusson 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 | #14,842 | #15,788 | -6.4% |
| Count | 1,996 | 1,779 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.60 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magnusson bearers went from 1,996 to 1,779 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 946 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,842 to #15,788.
FAQ
Magnusson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magnusson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,040 living Americans carry the surname Magnusson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,017 residents.
How common is Magnusson?
Magnusson ranks #15,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,779 people with the surname Magnusson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,040), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Magnusson.
Has Magnusson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magnusson went from 1,996 recorded bearers to 1,779. That is a decrease of 217 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,842 to #15,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Magnusson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magnusson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Magnusson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (1,655 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magnusson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Magnusson (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 Magnusson mean?
Son of Magnus, a Scandinavian given name derived from the Latin word "magnus," meaning "great." 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 Magnusson (0.60 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 Magnusson?
You can see how many people are called Magnusson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.