2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Syrstad
A toponymic surname originating from a farm or place name in Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Syrstad. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Syrstad 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Syrstad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Syrstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Syrstad
The surname Syrstad originates from Norway, with its roots dating back to the Viking era around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is a toponymic name derived from the Old Norse words "syr," meaning a swampy or marshy area, and "stadr," meaning a place or farm. Therefore, Syrstad likely referred to a homestead or settlement located in a marshy region.
Syrstad is believed to have emerged as a distinct surname during the late medieval period, when hereditary surnames became more common in Scandinavia. The earliest known recorded instance of the name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents, dating back to the 13th century.
One notable historical figure bearing the Syrstad surname was Thorvald Syrstad, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in a land dispute with the Church, which was eventually resolved in his favor.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Syrstad family settled in the Gudbrandsdalen valley region of Norway. Here, the name evolved into various local spelling variations, such as Syrstaad and Syrstaadh, reflecting the dialectal differences of the area.
During the 17th century, Peder Syrstad, a prominent merchant and ship owner from the coastal town of Bergen, played a significant role in establishing trade routes between Norway and the Netherlands. His business endeavors contributed to the spread of the Syrstad name across various parts of Europe.
Another noteworthy individual was Ingrid Syrstad, a 19th-century Norwegian folk artist renowned for her intricate woodcarvings and traditional rosemaling (decorative painting). Her works are displayed in several museums and private collections, showcasing the cultural heritage of Norway.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals bearing the Syrstad surname immigrated to the United States and Canada, particularly to areas with existing Norwegian communities. One such individual was Ole Syrstad, who settled in Minnesota in the 1880s and became a respected farmer and community leader.
Throughout its history, the Syrstad surname has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots, reflecting the country's rich cultural traditions and the legacy of those who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Syrstad
Among Census respondents with the surname Syrstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Syrstad 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 Syrstad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 100
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Syrstad
Syrstad 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,464 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 4,464 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 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 Syrstad 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 | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Syrstad bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Syrstad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Syrstad?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Syrstad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Syrstad?
Syrstad ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Syrstad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Syrstad.
Has Syrstad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Syrstad went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Syrstad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Syrstad, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Syrstad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Syrstad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Syrstad (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 Syrstad mean?
A toponymic surname originating from a farm or place name in Norway. 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 Syrstad (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 Americans have the surname Syrstad?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.