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

Torkelson, 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 Torkelson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Torkelson in America

Torkelson is the 13376th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Torkelson surname appeared 2,277 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Torkelson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Torkelson 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 Torkelson

The surname Torkelson originated in Scandinavia, most likely in Sweden or Norway. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the given name of an ancestor. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century when surnames began to be used more widely.

The root of the name is the Old Norse personal name Torkel or Torkil, which is a compound name composed of the elements "Thor" (the name of the Norse god of thunder) and "ketill" (meaning cauldron or helmet). The suffix "-son" was added to denote "son of Torkel."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Torkelson name can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), which dates back to the late 12th century. The book mentions a man named Torkel who settled in Iceland during the 9th century.

In the medieval period, the name Torkelson appeared in various Scandinavian records and manuscripts, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Torkillson or Thorkelsson.

Notable individuals with the Torkelson surname include:

1. Torkel Torkelsson (c. 1290-1350), a Norwegian nobleman and landowner who played a role in the Norwegian struggle for independence from Denmark.

2. Ingrid Torkelsdatter (c. 1450-1510), a Danish noblewoman and landowner known for her involvement in local politics and disputes.

3. Nils Torkelson (1560-1625), a Swedish merchant and ship owner who established trade routes between Sweden and the Netherlands.

4. Knut Torkelsson (1675-1745), a Norwegian farmer and local leader who was involved in disputes over land rights and taxation.

5. Anna Torkelsdotter (1810-1885), a Swedish immigrant to the United States who settled in Minnesota and played a role in the establishment of the Swedish-American community in the region.

While the Torkelson name has its roots in Scandinavia, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Torkelson

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

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

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

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