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

Unseth, 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 Unseth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Unseth in America

Unseth is the 110286th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Unseth surname appeared 160 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 Unseth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Unseth 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 Unseth

The surname Unseth is believed to have originated in Norway, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is thought to derive from the Old Norse words "ún" meaning "luck" or "prosperity" and "setr" meaning "homestead" or "dwelling."

In the early days, the name was primarily found in the western regions of Norway, particularly in the coastal areas where farming and fishing were prevalent. The earliest known record of the name dates back to a 13th-century document from the Stavanger area, where it was spelled as "Unsett."

During the Middle Ages, the name Unseth appeared in various church records and legal documents across Norway. One notable mention was in a 1457 land dispute case in the town of Haugesund, where a farmer named Torbjørn Unseth was involved in a property disagreement.

As the centuries passed, the spelling of the name evolved slightly, with variations such as "Unsett," "Unseth," and "Unsæth" being recorded. In the 16th century, a merchant named Hans Unseth from Bergen was known for his extensive trade dealings with the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing the Unseth name was Ingrid Unseth (1621-1698), a landowner and philanthropist from Stavanger. She was known for her generous contributions to the local church and her support for education initiatives in the region.

Another notable individual was Peder Unseth (1745-1818), a Norwegian shipbuilder from Ålesund. He gained recognition for his innovative ship designs and his contribution to the maritime industry in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

During the 19th century, the Unseth name spread to other parts of Norway, as well as to neighboring countries like Sweden and Denmark, due to migration and intermarriage. One significant figure from this period was Knut Unseth (1832-1897), a Norwegian educator and writer who authored several textbooks on mathematics and language.

As people from Norway began to emigrate to other parts of the world, the Unseth name followed. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals bearing this surname could be found in various parts of Europe, North America, and beyond, carrying with them the rich cultural heritage of their Norwegian roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Unseth

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

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

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

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