2000
#13,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Mikkelsen
Patronymic surname meaning "son of Mikkel," a Danish and Norwegian diminutive form of Michael.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,404 Americans carry the last name Mikkelsen. That puts it at #13,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,577 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mikkelsen 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
2.4K
1 in 142,577
Census rank
#13,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,096 bearers of the surname Mikkelsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikkelsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mikkelsen
The surname Mikkelsen originates from Denmark and likely dates back to the 12th or 13th century. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-sen" to the first name "Mikkel," which is the Danish form of the name Michael. The name Mikkel itself is derived from the Hebrew name "Mikhael," meaning "who is like God."
In its earliest forms, the name may have been spelled in various ways, such as Michelsen, Michilsen, or Mickelsen, reflecting regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions over time. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Jutland and Zealand, where the name was most prevalent in its early history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mikkelsen can be found in the census records of the Danish island of Funen from the late 15th century, where a man named Jens Mikkelsen is listed as a landowner. Additionally, the name appears in several medieval Danish legal documents and church records from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Notable individuals with the surname Mikkelsen throughout history include:
1. Ejnar Mikkelsen (1880-1971), a Danish polar explorer and author who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions in the early 20th century.
2. Asger Mikkelsen (1909-1988), a Danish actor and film director known for his work in the mid-20th century Danish film industry.
3. Mads Mikkelsen (born 1965), a renowned Danish actor known for his roles in films such as "Casino Royale," "Hannibal," and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
4. Jens Mikkelsen (c. 1452-1520), a Danish clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Viborg from 1498 until his death.
5. Kristen Mikkelsen (1760-1842), a Norwegian-born American pioneer and explorer who was one of the first European settlers in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
While the surname Mikkelsen has its roots in Denmark, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and settlement in new territories. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Danish language and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mikkelsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikkelsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mikkelsen 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 Mikkelsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 1,925
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 96
- Two or more races2.1% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mikkelsen
Mikkelsen 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
#14,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,150
+118 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#13,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,096
-54 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 201 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,690 | 2,032 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,006 | 2,150 | 0.73 | +118 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #13,805 | 2,096 | 0.70 | -54 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 201 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 Mikkelsen 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 | #14,006 | #13,805 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,150 | 2,096 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.70 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mikkelsen bearers went from 2,150 to 2,096 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 201 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,006 to #13,805.
FAQ
Mikkelsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mikkelsen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,404 living Americans carry the surname Mikkelsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,577 residents.
How common is Mikkelsen?
Mikkelsen ranks #13,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,096 people with the surname Mikkelsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,404), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Mikkelsen.
Has Mikkelsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mikkelsen went from 2,150 recorded bearers to 2,096. That is a decrease of 54 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,006 to #13,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Mikkelsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikkelsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mikkelsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,925 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mikkelsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mikkelsen (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 Mikkelsen mean?
Patronymic surname meaning "son of Mikkel," a Danish and Norwegian diminutive form of 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 Mikkelsen (0.70 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 Mikkelsen?
You can see how many people have the surname Mikkelsen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.