2000
#8,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,686
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Nyberg
A Swedish topographic surname derived from the words "ny" meaning "new" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,033 Americans carry the last name Nyberg. That puts it at #8,929 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,987 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nyberg 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nyberg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 84,987
Census rank
#8,929
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,517 bearers of the surname Nyberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8929th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nyberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nyberg
The surname Nyberg has its origins in Sweden, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Swedish words "ny" meaning "new" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill," suggesting that it may have originally referred to someone who lived near a newly settled or established area near a mountain or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nyberg can be found in the Swedish church records from the parish of Norra Råda in Värmland County, where a man named Johan Nyberg was born in 1592. Another early mention is from the parish records of Möklinta in Västmanland County, where a man named Erik Nyberg was born in 1622.
The surname Nyberg has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Johan Nyberg (1725-1798), a Swedish minister and author who served as a vicar in the parishes of Stora Tuna and Vika in Dalarna County. He published several works, including a book on the history of the province of Dalarna.
Another individual of note was Carl Gustaf Nyberg (1786-1852), a Swedish military officer and cartographer who served in the Swedish Army. He is best known for his work in mapping and surveying various regions of Sweden, including the province of Värmland.
In the field of literature, one notable figure was the Swedish author and poet Sven Nyberg (1895-1979), whose works explored themes of nature, rural life, and the Swedish landscape. He was born in the village of Ryr in Värmland County and drew inspiration from his upbringing in the countryside.
The name Nyberg has also been associated with various place names in Sweden, such as the village of Nyberg in Västmanland County and the Nyberg Lake in Värmland County. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of individuals or families bearing the name in those areas.
Throughout the centuries, the Nyberg surname has been found in various parts of Sweden, with particular concentrations in the regions of Värmland, Dalarna, and Västmanland. It has also been carried by numerous individuals who have made contributions in various fields, including religion, military, literature, and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nyberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Nyberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nyberg 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 Nyberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 3,172
- Two or more races3.9% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nyberg
Nyberg 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
#8,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,732
+46 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 519 places
2020
#8,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,517
-215 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,268 | 3,686 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,787 | 3,732 | 1.27 | +46 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 519 places |
| 2020 | #8,929 | 3,517 | 1.18 | -215 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 142 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 Nyberg 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 | #8,787 | #8,929 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,732 | 3,517 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.18 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nyberg bearers went from 3,732 to 3,517 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,787 to #8,929.
FAQ
Nyberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nyberg?
Name Census estimates that about 4,033 living Americans carry the surname Nyberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,987 residents.
How common is Nyberg?
Nyberg ranks #8,929 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,517 people with the surname Nyberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,033), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nyberg.
Has Nyberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nyberg went from 3,732 recorded bearers to 3,517. That is a decrease of 215 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,787 to #8,929.
What does the Census say about the background of Nyberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nyberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Nyberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (3,172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nyberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Nyberg (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 Nyberg mean?
A Swedish topographic surname derived from the words "ny" meaning "new" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill." 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 Nyberg (1.18 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 common is the surname Nyberg?
Want to know how many people are called Nyberg? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.