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

Wahlstrom, 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 Wahlstrom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wahlstrom in America

Wahlstrom is the 19480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wahlstrom surname appeared 1,387 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 Wahlstrom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wahlstrom 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 Wahlstrom

The surname Wahlstrom has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 17th century. It is a combination of the Swedish words "vahl" meaning "election" and "strom" meaning "stream" or "current." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location near a stream or river where elections or gatherings were held.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wahlstrom can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 1600s. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Småland and Östergötland, where many families with this surname resided.

In the 18th century, the Wahlstrom name appeared in several historical documents, including military records and local government registries. One notable individual from this period was Johan Wahlstrom (1720-1795), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Linköping.

As the 19th century dawned, the Wahlstrom family spread throughout Sweden, with some members emigrating to other parts of Europe and the United States. One such individual was Anders Wahlstrom (1835-1912), who settled in Minnesota and became a successful farmer and community leader.

In the early 20th century, the Wahlstrom name gained recognition in the field of academia. Gustav Wahlstrom (1880-1957) was a renowned Swedish linguist and professor at Uppsala University, known for his contributions to the study of Scandinavian languages.

Another notable figure was Knut Wahlstrom (1892-1975), a Swedish entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Wahlstrom Corporation, a leading manufacturer of machinery and equipment for the forestry industry.

Throughout the centuries, the Wahlstrom surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wahlstrom

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

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

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

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