2000
#8,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,377
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Simonsen
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Simon," derived from the personal name Simon, of Hebrew origin meaning "he has heard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,816 Americans carry the last name Simonsen. That puts it at #9,377 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,820 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simonsen 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 Simonsen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,820
Census rank
#9,377
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,328 bearers of the surname Simonsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9377th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simonsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simonsen
The surname Simonsen is of Danish and Norwegian origin, derived from the personal name Simon, which itself comes from the ancient Hebrew name Shim'on. This surname emerged in the Middle Ages and is a patronymic form, meaning "son of Simon."
The name Simon is first recorded in the Bible as the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. In the 11th century, the name became popular in Denmark and Norway due to the influence of Christianity in those regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Simonsen dates back to the late 13th century in the Danish town of Ribe. A merchant named Niels Simonsen is mentioned in a tax record from 1289.
In the 14th century, a prominent Norwegian clergyman named Svein Simonsen served as the Bishop of Oslo from 1314 to 1332. He is remembered for his efforts in promoting education and building churches in Norway during his tenure.
During the Renaissance period, a Danish artist named Jens Simonsen (1530-1601) gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and altarpieces in several churches across Denmark.
In the 17th century, a Norwegian naval officer named Peder Simonsen (1620-1687) played a significant role in defending Norway's coastal waters against foreign invaders and pirates.
The surname Simonsen has also been associated with several notable literary figures. The Norwegian poet and playwright Johan Simonsen (1781-1857) was a prominent figure in the Romantic Movement and is particularly known for his patriotic poetry.
Another notable bearer of the surname was the Danish author and playwright Erik Simonsen (1894-1976), whose works often explored themes of social injustice and the plight of the working class.
While the surname Simonsen is most commonly found in Denmark and Norway, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration in more recent times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simonsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Simonsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Simonsen 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 Simonsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 3,046
- Two or more races3.5% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simonsen
Simonsen 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
#9,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,430
+53 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 571 places
2020
#9,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,328
-102 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,913 | 3,377 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,484 | 3,430 | 1.16 | +53 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 571 places |
| 2020 | #9,377 | 3,328 | 1.11 | -102 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 107 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 Simonsen 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 | #9,484 | #9,377 | 1.1% |
| Count | 3,430 | 3,328 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.11 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simonsen bearers went from 3,430 to 3,328 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,484 to #9,377.
FAQ
Simonsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simonsen?
Name Census estimates that about 3,816 living Americans carry the surname Simonsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,820 residents.
How common is Simonsen?
Simonsen ranks #9,377 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,328 people with the surname Simonsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,816), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Simonsen.
Has Simonsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simonsen went from 3,430 recorded bearers to 3,328. That is a decrease of 102 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,484 to #9,377.
What does the Census say about the background of Simonsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simonsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Simonsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (3,046 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simonsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Simonsen (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 Simonsen mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Simon," derived from the personal name Simon, of Hebrew origin meaning "he has heard." 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 Simonsen (1.11 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 Simonsen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.