2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nalven
An unexplained Scandinavian surname, potentially derived from a place name or descriptive term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Nalven. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nalven 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Nalven in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nalven, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nalven
The surname Nalven has its origins in the Scandinavian countries, particularly in Sweden and Norway, where it is believed to have emerged in the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse words "nál" meaning "needle" and "ven" meaning "meadow" or "field," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a person living near a meadow or field where needles were produced or traded.
One of the earliest records of the name Nalven can be found in the parish records of Värmland County, Sweden, dating back to the late 1500s. It is also mentioned in the Swedish Census of 1680, where several families with the surname Nalven were listed as residents of the province of Västergötland.
In Norway, the name Nalven is believed to have originated in the region of Trøndelag, where it was likely a variation of the place name "Nalvik," a coastal town in northern Norway. The earliest known record of the name in Norway dates back to the mid-17th century, when a man named Nils Nalven was mentioned in the church records of Trondheim.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Nalven. One of the earliest known was Erik Nalven (1620-1689), a Swedish merchant and ship owner from Gothenburg, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 17th century.
Another prominent figure was Ingrid Nalven (1722-1798), a Norwegian weaver and textile artist renowned for her intricate tapestries and embroidery works. Her pieces were highly sought after by the nobility and are now preserved in various museums across Scandinavia.
In the 19th century, Knut Nalven (1845-1912) was a respected Norwegian engineer who oversaw the construction of several railways and bridges in his home country, contributing significantly to the nation's infrastructure development.
The name Nalven also has literary connections, with Johan Nalven (1879-1949), a Swedish author and playwright, known for his satirical works that criticized societal norms and injustices of his time.
In more recent history, Astrid Nalven (1920-2005), a Norwegian painter and sculptor, gained recognition for her abstract expressionist works, which were exhibited in galleries across Europe and North America.
While the surname Nalven may not be as widely known as some others, its rich history and connections to various professions and artistic pursuits make it an intriguing part of Scandinavian cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nalven
Among Census respondents with the surname Nalven, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nalven 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 Nalven surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nalven
Nalven 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,119 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+13 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 13,119 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 11,396 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 Nalven 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 | #154,907 | #143,511 | 7.4% |
| Count | 105 | 118 | 12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nalven bearers went from 105 to 118 (+12.4% change). The surname moved up 11,396 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #143,511.
FAQ
Nalven surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nalven?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Nalven. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Nalven?
Nalven ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Nalven. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Nalven.
Has Nalven become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nalven went from 105 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 13 (+12.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Nalven?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nalven, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Nalven in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nalven appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Nalven (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 Nalven mean?
An unexplained Scandinavian surname, potentially derived from a place name or descriptive term. 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 Nalven (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 share the surname Nalven?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.