2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nordbye
A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "north settlement" or "northern farm".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Nordbye. 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 Nordbye 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 Nordbye 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 Nordbye, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nordbye
The surname NORDBYE has its origins in Norway, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "norðr" meaning "north" and "býr" meaning "farm" or "settlement." The name likely referred to someone who lived or owned a farm located in the northern regions of Norway.
NORDBYE was commonly found in coastal areas of western Norway, particularly in the counties of Møre og Romsdal and Sogn og Fjordane. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Nordbÿ, Nordbye, and Nordby, reflecting the evolution of the Norwegian language over time.
One of the earliest known references to the name NORDBYE can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomatic documents dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in a land deed from 1286, where a farmer named Thorvald Nordbye is mentioned as a witness.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Hans Nordbye (1523-1589) made a name for himself as a skilled shipbuilder and navigator. He played a significant role in the expansion of Norwegian maritime trade during that period.
Another notable individual with the surname NORDBYE was Grete Nordbye (1675-1743), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Bergen. She was known for her generous support of local churches and educational institutions.
During the 19th century, the name NORDBYE gained recognition through the works of Nils Nordbye (1820-1896), a renowned Norwegian painter and illustrator. His landscapes and depictions of rural life captured the essence of his homeland and are celebrated as important contributions to Norwegian art history.
Another prominent figure was Øystein Nordbye (1888-1964), a Norwegian politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the United States from 1949 to 1953. He played a crucial role in strengthening the diplomatic ties between Norway and the United States during the post-World War II era.
Throughout history, the surname NORDBYE has been associated with various professions, from farmers and landowners to artists, politicians, and diplomats. Despite its origins in rural Norway, the name has spread globally, carried by Norwegian emigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nordbye
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordbye, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nordbye 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 Nordbye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nordbye
Nordbye 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
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,399 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 2,399 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,371 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 Nordbye 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 | #143,511 | -1.7% |
| Count | 118 | 118 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nordbye bearers went from 118 to 118 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #143,511.
FAQ
Nordbye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nordbye?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Nordbye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Nordbye?
Nordbye 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 Nordbye. 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 Nordbye.
Has Nordbye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nordbye went from 118 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Nordbye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordbye, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Nordbye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nordbye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Nordbye (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 Nordbye mean?
A surname of Norwegian origin meaning "north settlement" or "northern farm". 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 Nordbye (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 last name Nordbye?
Find out how many people have the last name Nordbye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.