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

Thunberg, 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 Thunberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thunberg in America

Thunberg is the 55841st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thunberg surname appeared 367 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 Thunberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thunberg 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 Thunberg

The surname Thunberg has its origins in Sweden, and its earliest recorded examples date back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse word "thundr," meaning "thunder," and the Swedish word "berg," meaning "mountain" or "hill." The combination of these words suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived in a mountainous or hilly area where thunderstorms were common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thunberg can be found in the Swedish church records of the late 16th century, where a man named Lars Thunberg was mentioned as residing in the village of Bälinge, located in the province of Västmanland. It is believed that this individual was one of the first to bear the surname in its modern form.

In the 17th century, the Thunberg name gained prominence with the birth of Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), a renowned Swedish naturalist and botanist. He is best known for his extensive travels to various parts of the world, including South Africa, Japan, and Java, where he made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna.

Another notable figure with the Thunberg surname was Sven Thunberg (1864-1927), a Swedish politician and journalist who served as the Speaker of the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament) from 1911 to 1917. He played a crucial role in shaping the country's political landscape during the early 20th century.

In the realm of literature, the name Thunberg is associated with Nils Thunberg (1919-1986), a Swedish author and playwright. He gained widespread recognition for his novels and plays that explored themes of identity, existentialism, and the human condition.

Moving into more recent times, the Thunberg surname gained global recognition with Greta Thunberg (born in 2003), the Swedish environmental activist and campaigner against climate change. Her influential activism and speeches at international forums have inspired millions of people worldwide to take action against global warming.

While the Thunberg name may have originated as a descriptive term for a specific geographic location, it has since evolved to represent individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including science, politics, literature, and environmental advocacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thunberg

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

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

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

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