2000
#71,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Sandburg
A Swedish surname indicating geographic origin or place of residence among sand hills or sand dunes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 354 Americans carry the last name Sandburg. That puts it at #68,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 968,233 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sandburg 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
354
1 in 968,233
Census rank
#68,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
309
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 309 bearers of the surname Sandburg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sandburg
The surname Sandburg is of Swedish origin, derived from the combination of the words "sand" and "borg," which means "sand castle" or "sand fortress." This surname likely originated in the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when many Swedes adopted hereditary surnames.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Sandburg can be traced back to various Swedish parish records and census records from the 16th and 17th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Småland, Västergötland, and Värmland in southern Sweden.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Sandburg was Johan Sandburg, a Swedish military officer who served during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), an American writer and poet of Swedish descent. He was born in Galesburg, Illinois, and is best known for his works such as "Chicago Poems" and his biography of Abraham Lincoln. Carl Sandburg received numerous accolades, including three Pulitzer Prizes.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Gustav Sandburg (1821-1891), a Swedish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Sandburg Furniture Company in Chicago. He played a significant role in the Swedish-American community and was known for his charitable contributions.
The name Sandburg also appears in various historical records and documents from other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it may have been spelled slightly differently, like "Sandborg" or "Sandbergh." This suggests that the name may have spread beyond Sweden through migration and cultural exchanges.
It is worth noting that the surname Sandburg has been associated with several notable figures throughout history, ranging from military leaders to writers and entrepreneurs. While the name's origins can be traced back to Sweden, its presence can be found in various regions and cultures, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges of past centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sandburg
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sandburg 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 Sandburg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 265
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 17
- Two or more races5.5% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sandburg
Sandburg 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
#77,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
-7 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,980 places
2020
#68,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 309
+63 bearers (+25.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 9,210 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,808 | 253 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,788 | 246 | 0.08 | -7 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 5,980 places |
| 2020 | #68,578 | 309 | 0.10 | +63 bearers (+25.6%) | Up 9,210 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 Sandburg 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 | #77,788 | #68,578 | 11.8% |
| Count | 246 | 309 | 25.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 29.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sandburg bearers went from 246 to 309 (+25.6% change). The surname moved up 9,210 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,788 to #68,578.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sandburg
FAQ
Sandburg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sandburg?
Name Census estimates that about 354 living Americans carry the surname Sandburg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 968,233 residents.
How common is Sandburg?
Sandburg ranks #68,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 309 people with the surname Sandburg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (354), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sandburg.
Has Sandburg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sandburg went from 246 recorded bearers to 309. That is an increase of 63 (+25.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #77,788 to #68,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Sandburg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Sandburg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (265 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sandburg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Sandburg (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 Sandburg mean?
A Swedish surname indicating geographic origin or place of residence among sand hills or sand dunes. 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 Sandburg (0.10 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 Sandburg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.