2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tjossem
A surname of Norwegian origin referring to a farm or homestead.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Tjossem. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tjossem 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Tjossem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tjossem, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tjossem
The surname Tjossem originated in Norway, with records dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "tjǫrn" meaning "small lake" and "heim" meaning "homestead" or "farm." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a small lake or pond.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Tjossem name can be found in the parish records of Gol, a municipality in the county of Viken, Norway. In these records, a man named Tørris Tjossem was mentioned in 1642, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.
The Tjossem surname is primarily concentrated in the region of Hallingdal, a traditional district in the Norwegian counties of Viken and Vestfold og Telemark. This area is known for its rich agricultural heritage and stunning natural landscapes, which may have influenced the naming of the Tjossem family.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Tjossem surname. One such person was Anders Tjossem (1828-1917), a Norwegian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) from 1877 to 1879. Another noteworthy figure was Nils Tjossem (1858-1925), a Norwegian-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about Norwegian immigration to the United States.
In the 19th century, the Tjossem name made its way to the United States, as many Norwegian immigrants sought new opportunities in the growing nation. One example is Knut Tjossem (1835-1914), who emigrated from Norway to Iowa in 1866 and became a prominent farmer and community leader.
Another notable American with the Tjossem surname was Gudrun Tjossem (1890-1983), a Norwegian-American singer and actress who performed on stage and in vaudeville shows during the early 20th century. She was born in Wisconsin to Norwegian immigrant parents.
While the Tjossem surname may not be as widely recognized as some other Norwegian names, it holds a rich history and connection to the cultural heritage of Norway's agricultural communities and natural landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tjossem
Among Census respondents with the surname Tjossem, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tjossem 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 Tjossem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tjossem
Tjossem 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,560 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-13 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,411 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,560 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 12,411 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 Tjossem 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 | #139,228 | #151,639 | -8.9% |
| Count | 120 | 107 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tjossem bearers went from 120 to 107 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 12,411 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #151,639.
FAQ
Tjossem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tjossem?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Tjossem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Tjossem?
Tjossem ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Tjossem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Tjossem.
Has Tjossem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tjossem went from 120 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Tjossem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tjossem, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Tjossem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tjossem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Tjossem (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 Tjossem mean?
A surname of Norwegian origin referring to a farm or homestead. 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 Tjossem (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 last name Tjossem?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Tjossem, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.