2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sundem
A locative surname referring to someone from an area called Sundem.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Sundem. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sundem 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Sundem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sundem, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sundem
The surname Sundem is believed to have originated in Norway, where it can be traced back to the 16th century. It is likely derived from the Old Norse words "sund" meaning "strait" or "sound," and "heimr" meaning "home" or "homestead." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a strait or waterway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sundem can be found in the parish records of Stavanger, Norway, in the year 1585. The name appears as "Sundhem," which is an early spelling variation. This provides evidence that the name was in use in the coastal regions of Norway during the late medieval period.
In the 17th century, the name Sundem began to appear in various Norwegian census records and land registries. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Nils Sundem, a farmer from Rogaland who was born in 1637, and Ingrid Sundem, a landowner from Vest-Agder, whose birth year is recorded as 1672.
As the name spread throughout Norway, it also took on different spellings and variations. For instance, the form "Sundheim" can be found in records from the Vestfold region in the 19th century. This variation likely stems from the Old Norse word "heimr" being adapted to the more modern Norwegian "heim," meaning "home" or "homestead."
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Sundem was Lars Sundem, a Norwegian explorer and whaler who lived from 1839 to 1912. He is known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his role in the development of modern whaling techniques.
Another notable figure is Bjarne Sundem, a Norwegian businessman and philanthropist born in 1885. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and became a prominent supporter of various educational and charitable causes in Norway.
In the 20th century, the name Sundem continued to be found in various parts of Norway, as well as in communities of Norwegian immigrants in other countries, such as the United States and Canada. Some examples include Olav Sundem, a Norwegian-American author and linguist born in 1908, and Karin Sundem, a Norwegian-Canadian artist and sculptor who lived from 1920 to 2008.
While the surname Sundem is relatively uncommon today, it remains a testament to Norway's rich linguistic and cultural heritage, reflecting the country's close connection to the sea and the importance of waterways in shaping its historical settlements and communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sundem
Among Census respondents with the surname Sundem, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sundem 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 Sundem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sundem
Sundem 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,579 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,579 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 6,607 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 Sundem 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 | #149,395 | #142,788 | 4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 119 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sundem bearers went from 110 to 119 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 6,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,788.
FAQ
Sundem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sundem?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Sundem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Sundem?
Sundem ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Sundem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sundem.
Has Sundem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sundem went from 110 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 9 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Sundem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sundem, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Sundem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sundem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Sundem (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 Sundem mean?
A locative surname referring to someone from an area called Sundem. 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 Sundem (0.04 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 Sundem?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.