Find out how popular the last name Norstrom is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Norstrom.

Norstrom, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Norstrom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Norstrom in America

Norstrom is the 58481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Norstrom surname appeared 347 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Norstrom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Norstrom to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Norstrom

The surname Norstrom has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Norstrom is derived from the Old Norse words 'norðr' meaning 'north' and 'straumr' meaning 'stream' or 'current'. It likely referred to a person who lived near a northern stream or river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norstrom can be found in the Swedish Census Rolls from the 16th century, which listed several individuals with variations of the spelling, such as Nordstrom and Norström.

In Norway, the name was often spelled as Nordstrøm or Norstrøm, reflecting the local pronunciation and dialect. One notable example is the Norwegian sailor and explorer Carl Norstrøm, who was born in Fredrikstad in 1856 and is known for his voyages to the Arctic regions.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Norstrom began to spread beyond Scandinavia as people emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Lars Norstrom, a Swedish immigrant who settled in Minnesota in the mid-19th century.

Another prominent figure with the surname Norstrom was the Swedish artist and illustrator Viggo Norstrom, who was born in 1856 and is renowned for his intricate woodcut illustrations and book designs.

In the field of literature, the name is associated with the Swedish author and playwright Tora Norstrom, who was born in 1887 and is best known for her novels and plays that explored themes of gender and social issues.

The surname Norstrom has also been linked to various place names in Scandinavia, such as the village of Norström in central Sweden and the Norströmsgrund island in the Stockholm archipelago.

Throughout history, the surname Norstrom has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including artists, explorers, authors, and ordinary citizens who contributed to the cultural and historical fabric of their respective communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Norstrom

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Norstrom.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Norstrom was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Norstrom has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Norstrom was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Norstrom, please contact us.

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