2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Westergreen
A surname denoting someone who lived near a grassy area to the west.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Westergreen. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Westergreen 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Westergreen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Westergreen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Westergreen
The surname "WESTERGREEN" is of Swedish origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is a locational surname, derived from a place name that likely referred to a village or settlement located in the western part of a region, with "wester" meaning "west" and "green" referring to a grassy or verdant area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in parish records and tax rolls from the Västergötland region of Sweden, where variations such as "Westergren" and "Wæstergræn" were used. These early spellings reflect the influence of regional dialects and the evolution of the Swedish language over time.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Johannes Westergreen (1598-1679), a Lutheran clergyman who served as the Bishop of Växjö in the mid-17th century. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen the Lutheran Church's presence in the region and promote educational initiatives.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in military records, with Lars Westergreen (1712-1789) serving as a lieutenant in the Swedish army during the Pomeranian War. His service is documented in regimental rolls and dispatches from the time.
Another prominent individual was Karin Westergreen (1832-1910), a Swedish writer and feminist activist who advocated for women's rights and educational opportunities. She published several novels and essays that explored societal issues and the struggles faced by women in her time.
As Swedish emigration to North America increased in the 19th century, the surname Westergreen began to appear in records of Swedish immigrants settling in various parts of the United States and Canada. One such individual was Nils Westergreen (1849-1922), a farmer who settled in Minnesota and played a role in establishing a Swedish Lutheran church in his local community.
In the artistic realm, Carl Westergreen (1876-1942) was a Swedish-American painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and portraiture. His works were exhibited in galleries across the United States and are held in several museum collections.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Westergreen has a rich history that spans centuries and reflects the lives and contributions of individuals from various walks of life, from clergy and military personnel to writers, activists, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Westergreen
Among Census respondents with the surname Westergreen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Westergreen 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 Westergreen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 102
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Westergreen
Westergreen 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-19 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,721 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+10 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 27,721 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 9,150 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 Westergreen 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 | #154,907 | #145,757 | 5.9% |
| Count | 105 | 115 | 9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Westergreen bearers went from 105 to 115 (+9.5% change). The surname moved up 9,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #145,757.
FAQ
Westergreen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Westergreen?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Westergreen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Westergreen?
Westergreen ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Westergreen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Westergreen.
Has Westergreen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Westergreen went from 105 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 10 (+9.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Westergreen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Westergreen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Westergreen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Westergreen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Westergreen (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 Westergreen mean?
A surname denoting someone who lived near a grassy area to the west. 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 Westergreen (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 common is the surname Westergreen?
Want to know how many people have the surname Westergreen? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.