2000
#11,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Nygaard
A Norwegian habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "new farm" or "new homestead."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,057 Americans carry the last name Nygaard. That puts it at #11,316 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,121 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nygaard 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
3.1K
1 in 112,121
Census rank
#11,316
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,666 bearers of the surname Nygaard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11316th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nygaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nygaard
The surname Nygaard originated in Norway and is a locational name referring to someone from a new or recently established farm or settlement. It is derived from the Old Norse words "ny," meaning new, and "gardr," meaning an enclosed or fortified place.
Nygaard was first recorded in the early 13th century in various Norwegian records and historical documents. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and legal documents, dated around 1230.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in several Norwegian church records and land registers, indicating that individuals bearing the surname Nygaard were landowners or farmers. Some variations in spelling were common during this period, including Nygord, Nygard, and Nygaard.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Nygaard name was associated with several prominent individuals in Norway. Prominent early bearers of the name include Arne Nygaard (1515-1587), a Norwegian nobleman and landowner, and Ingrid Nygaard (1568-1642), a renowned herbalist and healer from Bergen.
In the 18th century, the Nygaard name spread beyond Norway as some individuals emigrated to other parts of Scandinavia and Europe. One notable figure was Hans Nygaard (1732-1802), a Danish shipbuilder and naval architect who designed several warships for the Danish Navy.
As the 19th century dawned, the Nygaard name continued to be found in various Norwegian records and chronicles. Two notable individuals from this period were Niels Nygaard (1810-1879), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (Norwegian parliament), and Olaf Nygaard (1841-1912), a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and educator who founded several Lutheran colleges in the United States.
During the 20th century, the Nygaard name became more widely dispersed due to increased migration and globalization. Some notable bearers of the name from this period include Edvard Nygaard (1892-1964), a Norwegian author and poet, and Nils Nygaard (1934-2012), a Norwegian economist and professor at the University of Oslo.
Throughout its history, the Nygaard surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, farmers, noblemen, artisans, politicians, educators, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nygaard
Among Census respondents with the surname Nygaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nygaard 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 Nygaard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,465
- Two or more races2.9% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nygaard
Nygaard 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
#11,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,752
+123 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 355 places
2020
#11,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,666
-86 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,088 | 2,629 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,443 | 2,752 | 0.93 | +123 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 355 places |
| 2020 | #11,316 | 2,666 | 0.89 | -86 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 127 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 Nygaard 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 | #11,443 | #11,316 | 1.1% |
| Count | 2,752 | 2,666 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.89 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nygaard bearers went from 2,752 to 2,666 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,443 to #11,316.
FAQ
Nygaard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nygaard?
Name Census estimates that about 3,057 living Americans carry the surname Nygaard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,121 residents.
How common is Nygaard?
Nygaard ranks #11,316 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,666 people with the surname Nygaard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,057), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Nygaard.
Has Nygaard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nygaard went from 2,752 recorded bearers to 2,666. That is a decrease of 86 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,443 to #11,316.
What does the Census say about the background of Nygaard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nygaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Nygaard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,465 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nygaard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Nygaard (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 Nygaard mean?
A Norwegian habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "new farm" or "new homestead." 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 Nygaard (0.89 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 share the surname Nygaard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.