2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mollberg
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Mollberg. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mollberg 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
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Mollberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mollberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mollberg
The surname Mollberg has its origins in Sweden, tracing back to the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words 'mollr' meaning 'sandy soil' and 'berg' meaning 'mountain' or 'hill'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near a sandy hill or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mollberg can be found in the Swedish church records from the late 1600s. The name was primarily concentrated in the central regions of Sweden, particularly in the provinces of Vastmanland and Dalarna.
In the 18th century, the name Mollberg appeared in various legal documents and property records, indicating that some Mollberg families had established themselves as landowners or merchants. One notable example is Johan Mollberg, a wealthy merchant born in 1724 in Vasteras, who owned several trading ships and contributed to the development of the local economy.
As the centuries passed, the Mollberg name spread to other parts of Sweden, and some individuals with this surname achieved recognition in various fields. One such individual was Carl Mollberg (1813-1897), a renowned Swedish painter known for his landscape and portrait works.
Another notable Mollberg was Ingrid Mollberg (1876-1956), a pioneering Swedish journalist and women's rights activist. She played a crucial role in advocating for women's suffrage and improving working conditions for women in the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, the name Mollberg is associated with the Swedish author and poet, Erik Mollberg (1909-1987). His works, which often explored themes of nature and rural life, were highly acclaimed and earned him several prestigious literary awards.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, some Mollberg families immigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. However, the name remains most prevalent in its homeland of Sweden, where it continues to be a part of the country's rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mollberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Mollberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mollberg 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 Mollberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 9
- Two or more races1.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mollberg
Mollberg 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+18 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,791 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+7 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 2,222 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 Mollberg 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 | #138,304 | #136,082 | 1.6% |
| Count | 121 | 128 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mollberg bearers went from 121 to 128 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 2,222 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #136,082.
FAQ
Mollberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mollberg?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Mollberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Mollberg?
Mollberg ranks #136,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 128 people with the surname Mollberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mollberg.
Has Mollberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mollberg went from 121 recorded bearers to 128. That is an increase of 7 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #138,304 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Mollberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mollberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Mollberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mollberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Mollberg (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 Mollberg mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or mound. 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 Mollberg (0.04 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 surname Mollberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.