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

Steensen, 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 Steensen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Steensen in America

Steensen is the 81772nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Steensen surname appeared 231 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 Steensen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Steensen 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 Steensen

The surname "STEENSEN" is of Scandinavian origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in Denmark and Norway. It is derived from the Old Norse word "steinn," meaning "stone," and was likely originally a descriptive name given to someone who lived near a prominent stone or rocky area.

During the medieval period, the name was found in various parts of Denmark and Norway, including the regions of Jutland, Zealand, and Trondheim. Early spellings of the name included "Steynsen," "Steinsen," and "Steensen," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Danish Census Records of 1645, which mentions a "Hans Steensen" residing in the town of Odense. Another notable mention is in the Norwegian Genealogical Records from the late 17th century, where a "Bjørn Steensen" is listed as a farmer in the village of Bø, near Trondheim.

In the 18th century, the name began to spread more widely across Scandinavia, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Niels Steensen (1638-1686), a Danish scientist and Catholic convert who made significant contributions to the fields of anatomy and geology.

Another prominent figure was Hans Steensen (1717-1795), a Norwegian merchant and ship owner who played a crucial role in the development of the Norwegian whaling industry. His son, Peder Steensen (1752-1824), was a respected sea captain and navigator, known for his voyages to the Arctic regions.

In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Jens Steensen (1826-1897), a Danish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice for Denmark from 1876 to 1892.

As the Steensen family migrated across Europe and beyond, the name took on various spellings and adaptations, such as "Steinson," "Steynson," and "Steinsen," reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Steensen

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

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

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

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