2000
#8,080
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,779
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Michaelson
Son of Michael, an English patronymic surname derived from the given name Michael.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,002 Americans carry the last name Michaelson. That puts it at #8,995 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,646 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Michaelson 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 Michaelson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,646
Census rank
#8,995
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,490 bearers of the surname Michaelson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8995th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Michaelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Michaelson
The surname Michaelson is a patronymic name that originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the given name Michael, which has Hebrew origins and means "who is like God." The suffix "-son" denotes "son of," indicating that the name was initially used to identify the son of someone named Michael.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Michaelson can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Michaelissone," a variant spelling that reflects the evolving nature of surnames during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Michaelson was associated with various locations in England, particularly in areas with a strong Anglo-Saxon influence. For instance, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention individuals with the name residing in counties such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
Notable individuals bearing the Michaelson surname throughout history include:
1. Sir John Michaelson (c. 1480 - 1551), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. William Michaelson (1623 - 1689), a prominent English Puritan minister and author of several religious works.
3. Mary Michaelson (1747 - 1825), a Scottish poet and writer known for her lyrical compositions celebrating the Scottish landscape.
4. James Michaelson (1802 - 1873), a British explorer and surveyor who conducted pioneering expeditions in central Africa and mapped vast regions.
5. Elizabeth Michaelson (1854 - 1927), an American educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and played a significant role in establishing educational opportunities for women in the late 19th century.
The Michaelson surname has also been associated with various place names throughout its history. For example, the village of Michaelston-le-Pit in Gloucestershire, England, was formerly known as "Michaelestonge" in medieval records, reflecting the influence of the name in that region.
As with many surnames, the spelling of Michaelson has evolved over time, with variations such as Michelson, Michelsen, and Michaelsen appearing in different geographical regions and historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Michaelson
Among Census respondents with the surname Michaelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Michaelson 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 Michaelson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 3,137
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 143
- Two or more races3.2% · 112
- Black or African American1.0% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Michaelson
Michaelson 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
#8,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,950
+171 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 300 places
2020
#8,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,490
-460 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 615 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,080 | 3,779 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,380 | 3,950 | 1.34 | +171 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 300 places |
| 2020 | #8,995 | 3,490 | 1.17 | -460 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 615 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 Michaelson 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 | #8,380 | #8,995 | -7.3% |
| Count | 3,950 | 3,490 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.17 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Michaelson bearers went from 3,950 to 3,490 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 615 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,380 to #8,995.
FAQ
Michaelson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Michaelson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,002 living Americans carry the surname Michaelson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,646 residents.
How common is Michaelson?
Michaelson ranks #8,995 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,490 people with the surname Michaelson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,002), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Michaelson.
Has Michaelson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Michaelson went from 3,950 recorded bearers to 3,490. That is a decrease of 460 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,380 to #8,995.
What does the Census say about the background of Michaelson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Michaelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Michaelson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Michaelson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Michaelson (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 Michaelson mean?
Son of Michael, an English patronymic surname derived from the given name Michael. 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 Michaelson (1.17 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 Michaelson?
See how many people have the surname Michaelson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.