2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Severud
A Nordic surname derived from the Old Norse words "sær" meaning lake and "ruð" meaning clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Severud. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Severud 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Severud in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Severud, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Severud
The surname SEVERUD has its origins in Norway, dating back to the 9th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "siðr" and "hrauð," which translates to "custom" and "clearing" respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a clearing or settlement with established customs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Landnámabók, a medieval Icelandic manuscript that documents the settlement of Iceland. The name Severud is mentioned in connection with a Norwegian settler who arrived in Iceland in the late 9th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, variations of the name appeared in various Norwegian records and documents. Some examples include Siverdrud, Syverdrude, and Syverdruth. These spellings likely reflect regional dialects and the evolution of the Norwegian language over time.
In the late 16th century, a prominent Norwegian merchant named Nils Severud (1562-1632) was recorded as having traded extensively with the Netherlands and England. His success contributed to the recognition and prestige of the Severud name within Norwegian society.
Another notable figure was Hans Severud (1688-1757), a Norwegian military officer who served in the Great Northern War against Sweden. He rose to the rank of Major General and was awarded several honors for his service.
During the 19th century, the name gained international recognition through the accomplishments of the Norwegian-American novelist and playwright, Ole Severud (1816-1888). His works, which often explored themes of immigration and cultural identity, were widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages.
Additionally, the Norwegian composer Harald Severud (1897-1992) achieved significant fame for his contributions to modern classical music. His compositions, such as the orchestral work "Canto Ostinato," are still performed and celebrated today.
Throughout its history, the surname SEVERUD has been associated with various locations and place names within Norway, including Severud Farm in Voss and the village of Severud in Vestfold.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Severud
Among Census respondents with the surname Severud, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Severud 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 Severud surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 97
Timeline
Historical Census data for Severud
Severud appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-6 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 785 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.8%) | Up 785 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 Severud 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 | #157,234 | #156,449 | 0.5% |
| Count | 103 | 97 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Severud bearers went from 103 to 97 (-5.8% change). The surname moved up 785 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,449.
FAQ
Severud surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Severud?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Severud. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Severud?
Severud ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Severud. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Severud.
Has Severud become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Severud went from 103 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Severud?
Among Census respondents with the surname Severud, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Severud in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Severud appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Severud (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 Severud mean?
A Nordic surname derived from the Old Norse words "sær" meaning lake and "ruð" meaning clearing. 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 Severud (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Severud?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.