2000
#13,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,017
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Persson
A patronymic surname of Swedish origin, meaning "son of Per" (Peter).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,624 Americans carry the last name Persson. That puts it at #12,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,623 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Persson 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 Persson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,623
Census rank
#12,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,288 bearers of the surname Persson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Persson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Persson
The surname Persson originated in Sweden and dates back several centuries. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it was derived from the father's given name of Per, a common Swedish variant of the name Peter. The suffix "-son" means "son of" in Swedish.
Persson was one of the most widespread surnames in Sweden during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. It can be found in various historical records, including parish registers, census records, and tax rolls from the 16th century onwards.
One of the earliest known references to the name Persson comes from the Västgöta laws, a legal code from the 13th century that mentions a person named Persson. Additionally, the Småland Annals, a medieval chronicle from the late 15th century, includes references to individuals with the surname Persson.
In the 17th century, the Swedish soldier and explorer Jonas Persson Viding (1616-1690) became one of the first Europeans to explore the Arctic regions of North America. He was part of an expedition that mapped parts of Hudson Bay and the surrounding areas.
Another notable figure with the surname Persson was the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Persson (1773-1857), who made significant contributions to the study of Scandinavian flora and fauna. He authored several books on the subject and was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
During the 19th century, the Swedish author and playwright August Persson (1823-1897) gained prominence for his works, which often depicted rural life in Sweden. His plays and novels were widely popular and helped to preserve the cultural heritage of the country.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Persson was the Swedish painter and sculptor Ivan Persson (1917-2000). He was known for his abstract expressionist works and was a pioneer of modern art in Sweden.
Another notable figure was the Swedish politician Ingvar Persson (1941-2022), who served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1996 to 1998. He was a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party and played a significant role in shaping Sweden's political landscape during the late 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Persson
Among Census respondents with the surname Persson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Persson 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 Persson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 2,071
- Two or more races3.7% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 37
- Black or African American1.1% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Persson
Persson 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
#14,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,106
+89 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 467 places
2020
#12,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,288
+182 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 1,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,771 | 2,017 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,238 | 2,106 | 0.71 | +89 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 467 places |
| 2020 | #12,854 | 2,288 | 0.77 | +182 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 1,384 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 Persson 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 | #14,238 | #12,854 | 9.7% |
| Count | 2,106 | 2,288 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.77 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Persson bearers went from 2,106 to 2,288 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 1,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,238 to #12,854.
FAQ
Persson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Persson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,624 living Americans carry the surname Persson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,623 residents.
How common is Persson?
Persson ranks #12,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,288 people with the surname Persson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,624), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Persson.
Has Persson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Persson went from 2,106 recorded bearers to 2,288. That is an increase of 182 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,238 to #12,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Persson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Persson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Persson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (2,071 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Persson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Persson (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 Persson mean?
A patronymic surname of Swedish origin, meaning "son of Per" (Peter). 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 Persson (0.77 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 surname Persson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.