2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Njus
A surname likely of Swedish origin meaning "new".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Njus. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Njus 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Njus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Njus, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Njus
The surname NJUS is believed to have originated in Sweden during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse word "njósa," which means "to peep or pry." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who was inquisitive or curious by nature.
The earliest known record of the NJUS surname dates back to the 14th century in the Swedish province of Västergötland. In a manuscript from 1367, a man named Nils Njusson is mentioned, indicating that "Njus" was already an established surname at that time.
In the 16th century, the NJUS name appeared in the town of Falun, located in the Dalarna region of Sweden. This area was known for its copper mining industry, and it is possible that some individuals with the NJUS surname were involved in mining or related trades.
One notable figure in Swedish history with the NJUS surname was Per Njusson (1545-1623), a renowned clockmaker and instrument maker from Falun. He is credited with creating some of the earliest precision clocks and scientific instruments in Sweden.
Another individual of note was Erik Njus (1624-1708), a Swedish merchant and ship owner who established trade routes between Sweden and the Netherlands. His business dealings helped strengthen economic ties between the two countries during the 17th century.
In the 19th century, the NJUS surname gained some prominence in the field of academia. Johan Njus (1818-1892) was a Swedish linguist and educator who made significant contributions to the study of the Swedish language and its dialects.
Turning to the literary world, Anna Njus (1865-1944) was a Swedish novelist and short story writer known for her works depicting rural life in the Dalarna region. Her novels, such as "Vårbyn" (1901) and "Skogsliv" (1907), were widely acclaimed for their vivid descriptions and realistic portrayal of country life.
While the NJUS surname is predominantly Swedish in origin, it has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, likely due to migration patterns within the region over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Njus
Among Census respondents with the surname Njus, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Njus 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 Njus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 92
- Two or more races7.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Njus
Njus 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 384 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-14 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 384 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 12,450 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 Njus 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 | #141,140 | #153,590 | -8.8% |
| Count | 118 | 104 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Njus bearers went from 118 to 104 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 12,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #153,590.
FAQ
Njus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Njus?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Njus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Njus?
Njus ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Njus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Njus.
Has Njus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Njus went from 118 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Njus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Njus, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Njus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Njus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Njus (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 Njus mean?
A surname likely of Swedish origin meaning "new". 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 Njus (0.03 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 Njus?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.