2000
#16,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,604
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Swanberg
A surname derived from a Swedish place name referring to a swan-related location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,533 Americans carry the last name Swanberg. That puts it at #20,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 223,584 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swanberg 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
1.5K
1 in 223,584
Census rank
#20,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,337 bearers of the surname Swanberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swanberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swanberg
The surname Swanberg has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Norse words "svanr" meaning "swan" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill." This combination suggests that the name likely originated from a location where swans were found near a hill or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Swanberg appears in the Swedish church records of Värmland County in the late 1500s. The name was initially spelled "Swanberg" or "Swanbergh," reflecting the regional dialects of the time.
In the 17th century, the Swanberg name can be found in various Swedish records, including land registries and tax rolls. This suggests that the family had established itself as landowners or farmers in rural areas of Sweden.
During the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Swanberg name was Johan Swanberg (1709-1786), a Swedish military officer and cartographer. He is credited with creating several detailed maps of the Swedish provinces, which were instrumental in military planning and development.
Another prominent individual was Carl Gustaf Swanberg (1791-1868), a Swedish writer and journalist. He was known for his satirical works and contributions to the Swedish literary scene in the early 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the Swanberg name began to appear in immigration records as Swedish families sought new opportunities in North America. One such individual was Nils Swanberg (1845-1923), who immigrated to the United States in 1869 and settled in Minnesota, where he established a successful farming operation.
Another notable figure was Anna Swanberg (1872-1944), a Swedish-American educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools in Minnesota and worked tirelessly to promote education and equality for women.
As the Swanberg family dispersed across various regions, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations like "Swanberg," "Swanburgh," and "Swanboro" appearing in different records and locations.
Throughout its history, the surname Swanberg has maintained a strong connection to its Swedish roots, reflecting the cultural heritage and experiences of those who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swanberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Swanberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Swanberg 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 Swanberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,225
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 63
- Two or more races1.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swanberg
Swanberg 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
#17,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,558
-46 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 1,448 places
2020
#20,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,337
-221 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 2,193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,494 | 1,604 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,942 | 1,558 | 0.53 | -46 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 1,448 places |
| 2020 | #20,135 | 1,337 | 0.45 | -221 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 2,193 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 Swanberg 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 | #17,942 | #20,135 | -12.2% |
| Count | 1,558 | 1,337 | -14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.45 | -15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swanberg bearers went from 1,558 to 1,337 (-14.2% change). The surname moved down 2,193 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,942 to #20,135.
FAQ
Swanberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swanberg?
Name Census estimates that about 1,533 living Americans carry the surname Swanberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 223,584 residents.
How common is Swanberg?
Swanberg ranks #20,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,337 people with the surname Swanberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Swanberg.
Has Swanberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swanberg went from 1,558 recorded bearers to 1,337. That is a decrease of 221 (-14.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,942 to #20,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Swanberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swanberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Swanberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swanberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (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 Swanberg (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 Swanberg mean?
A surname derived from a Swedish place name referring to a swan-related location. 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 Swanberg (0.45 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 are called Swanberg?
See how many people have the surname Swanberg on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.