2000
#12,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,289
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Mikkelson
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Mikkel," a variant of Michael, meaning "one who resembles God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,609 Americans carry the last name Mikkelson. That puts it at #12,915 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,374 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mikkelson 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
2.6K
1 in 131,374
Census rank
#12,915
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,275 bearers of the surname Mikkelson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12915th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikkelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mikkelson
The surname Mikkelson has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark and Norway. It is a patronymic name, derived from the name Mikkel, which is the Danish and Norwegian form of the name Michael. The suffix "-son" means "son of," indicating that the name was originally given to a person who was the son of someone named Mikkel.
The name Mikkel itself is believed to have its roots in the Hebrew name Michael, which means "who is like God?" It was a popular name among Christians in medieval times and was widely used across Europe. The name Mikkelson likely emerged in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, when patronymic surnames became more common.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mikkelson can be found in the Danish census records from the 16th century. In these records, the name is spelled in various ways, such as Michelsøn, Michelsen, and Mickelsen. This variation in spelling was common in those times, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Mikkelson appeared in various historical records and documents in Denmark and Norway. One notable example is Hans Mikkelson, a Danish sailor and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 17th century.
In the 19th century, the name Mikkelson became more widespread as people migrated from Scandinavia to other parts of the world, particularly North America. One famous bearer of the name was Mikkelsen Larsen, a Norwegian explorer and whaler who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another notable person with the surname Mikkelson was Peter Mikkelson, a Danish-American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1857 to 1942. He was a successful businessman in the mining industry and was known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in supporting education and cultural institutions.
In the 20th century, the name Mikkelson continued to be found across various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. One prominent individual with this surname was Ingrid Mikkelson, a Norwegian-American author and journalist who wrote extensively on topics related to Scandinavian culture and history. She lived from 1901 to 1988.
Another notable figure was Erik Mikkelson, a Danish-American architect who was active in the mid-20th century. He was known for his work in designing several iconic buildings in the Art Deco style, including the Los Angeles City Hall and the Bullocks Wilshire department store.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mikkelson
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikkelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mikkelson 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 Mikkelson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 2,057
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 100
- Two or more races3.5% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mikkelson
Mikkelson 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
#12,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,383
+94 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 463 places
2020
#12,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,275
-108 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,437 | 2,289 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,900 | 2,383 | 0.81 | +94 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 463 places |
| 2020 | #12,915 | 2,275 | 0.76 | -108 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15 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 Mikkelson 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 | #12,900 | #12,915 | -0.1% |
| Count | 2,383 | 2,275 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.76 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mikkelson bearers went from 2,383 to 2,275 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,900 to #12,915.
FAQ
Mikkelson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mikkelson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,609 living Americans carry the surname Mikkelson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,374 residents.
How common is Mikkelson?
Mikkelson ranks #12,915 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,275 people with the surname Mikkelson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,609), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Mikkelson.
Has Mikkelson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mikkelson went from 2,383 recorded bearers to 2,275. That is a decrease of 108 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,900 to #12,915.
What does the Census say about the background of Mikkelson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mikkelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mikkelson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mikkelson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mikkelson (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 Mikkelson mean?
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Mikkel," a variant of Michael, meaning "one who resembles God." 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 Mikkelson (0.76 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 Mikkelson?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Mikkelson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.