2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nordfors
A Swedish surname meaning "northern rapids" or "northern stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Nordfors. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nordfors 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Nordfors in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordfors, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nordfors
The surname Nordfors is of Swedish origin, originating in the northern regions of Sweden. It is derived from the Old Norse words "norðr" meaning north and "fors" meaning waterfall or rapids. This suggests the name likely originated from a place name describing a northern location near a waterfall or rapids.
Historically, the surname can be traced back to the 16th century in Swedish parish records. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Dalarna County parish records from 1563, where a man named Olof Nordfors is listed.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the Södermanland County parish records from 1642, where a family with the surname Nordfors is mentioned. This suggests the name had spread to other regions of Sweden by this time.
The first known individual with the surname was Lars Nordfors, born in 1587 in Dalarna County. He was a farmer and land owner in the village of Mora.
Another notable early bearer of the name was Nils Nordfors, born in 1629 in Södermanland County. He was a blacksmith and is recorded in the church records of the town of Nyköping.
In the 18th century, the name appears in the Värmland County parish records from 1712, where a family with the surname Nordfors is listed in the town of Karlstad.
A prominent individual with this surname was Johan Nordfors, born in 1766 in Värmland County. He was a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Karlstad.
In the 19th century, the name is found in the Västerbotten County parish records from 1842, where a family with the surname Nordfors is listed in the town of Umeå.
A notable figure from this time period was Erik Nordfors, born in 1823 in Västerbotten County. He was a respected teacher and author who wrote several books on Swedish grammar and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nordfors
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordfors, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nordfors 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 Nordfors surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 96
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nordfors
Nordfors appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 2,642 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 Nordfors 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 | #152,628 | #155,270 | -1.7% |
| Count | 107 | 101 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nordfors bearers went from 107 to 101 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 2,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #155,270.
FAQ
Nordfors surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nordfors?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Nordfors. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Nordfors?
Nordfors ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Nordfors. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Nordfors.
Has Nordfors become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nordfors went from 107 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Nordfors?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nordfors, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Nordfors in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nordfors appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Nordfors (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 Nordfors mean?
A Swedish surname meaning "northern rapids" or "northern stream." 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 Nordfors (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 last name Nordfors?
Want to know how many people are called Nordfors? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.