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

Okerlund, 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 Okerlund surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Okerlund in America

Okerlund is the 44653rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Okerlund surname appeared 481 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 Okerlund.

We can also compare 2010 data for Okerlund 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 Okerlund

The surname OKERLUND is believed to have originated in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Norse words "okr" meaning interest or profit, and "lund" meaning grove or small forest. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or owned a profitable grove or woodland area.

The earliest known record of the OKERLUND name dates back to 1587, when a man named Lars Okerlund was mentioned in a parish register from the town of Linköping in southern Sweden. Over the following centuries, variations of the spelling such as Ockerlund, Ockerlundh, and Ockerlind were also documented in various Swedish records and archives.

One notable historical figure with the OKERLUND surname was Johan Okerlund (1688-1753), a Swedish merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the Baltic Sea trade during the early 18th century. His successful business ventures and involvement in international commerce brought recognition and prosperity to the Okerlund family name.

Another individual of note was Carl Okerlund (1779-1847), a Swedish-born military officer who served in the Swedish Army and later joined the British East India Company's forces. He participated in various campaigns and battles during the Napoleonic Wars and was recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

In the realm of academia, Anna Okerlund (1822-1892) was a respected Swedish educator and author who wrote several influential textbooks on language and literature. Her contributions to the field of education and her efforts to promote literacy among the Swedish population were widely acknowledged during her lifetime.

Moving into the 20th century, Erik Okerlund (1906-1985) was a prominent Swedish architect who designed numerous notable buildings and structures throughout Sweden, including several churches, public libraries, and municipal buildings. His innovative designs and embrace of modernist architectural styles left a lasting impact on the Swedish architectural landscape.

Finally, one of the most well-known figures with the OKERLUND surname in recent times was Gunnel Okerlund (1942-2008), a Swedish opera singer and mezzo-soprano who enjoyed a successful international career. She performed with prestigious opera companies and orchestras around the world, and her powerful voice and captivating stage presence earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Okerlund

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

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 Okerlund 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 Okerlund 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 Okerlund was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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