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

Wahlberg, 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 Wahlberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wahlberg in America

Wahlberg is the 23675th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wahlberg surname appeared 1,070 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 Wahlberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wahlberg 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 Wahlberg

The surname Wahlberg has its origins in Sweden, where it first emerged during the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old Swedish word "vahlberg," which translates to "meadow hill" or "pasture hill." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near or owned land situated on a grassy or meadow-covered hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wahlberg name can be found in the Swedish Census Rolls of 1540, where a man named Olof Wahlberg was listed as a resident of Malmö. Another early record dates back to 1612, mentioning a Nils Wahlberg from the parish of Östra Husby in Östergötland County.

During the 17th century, the Wahlberg surname began to appear more frequently in various Swedish parish records and historical documents. Notable individuals from this period include Johan Wahlberg (1642-1708), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Stockholm, and Anna Wahlberg (1675-1743), a respected midwife and herbalist from Värmland County.

As the name spread throughout Sweden, it also began to appear in various forms and spellings, such as Wahlbergh, Wåhlberg, and Våhlberg. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and local pronunciations, as well as clerical errors in record-keeping.

In the 19th century, the Wahlberg name gained international recognition through the exploits of Johan August Wahlberg (1810-1856), a Swedish naturalist and explorer who extensively studied the flora and fauna of South Africa. His contributions to the field of natural history were significant, and several species of birds and plants were named in his honor.

Another notable figure from this period was Gustaf Wahlberg (1818-1900), a Swedish-American businessman and industrialist who founded the Wahlberg Manufacturing Company in Chicago. His company was a leading producer of agricultural machinery and played a crucial role in the development of the American Midwest.

As time progressed, the Wahlberg surname continued to be carried by individuals of Swedish descent, both within Sweden and among those who emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wahlberg

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

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

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

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