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

Wikstrom, 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 Wikstrom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wikstrom in America

Wikstrom is the 29334th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wikstrom surname appeared 806 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 Wikstrom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wikstrom 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 Wikstrom

The surname Wikstrom has its origins in Sweden, a country known for its rich historical tapestry and linguistically unique names. This particular surname is believed to have first appeared in the region during the late Middle Ages, around the 15th or 16th century. The name Wikstrom is of Swedish origin and is derived from the combination of two Old Norse words: "vik," meaning "bay" or "creek," and "ström," meaning "stream" or "current." Hence, the name Wikstrom can be interpreted to mean "the stream by the bay."

Early records of the surname are found in various regional documents, including old Swedish tax records and church parish books, which were meticulously maintained even in those times. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in a church register from Uppsala, a historic city well-known for its medieval university founded in 1477. An early bearer of the name was Lars Wikstrom, documented in the parish records of Uppsala in 1584.

The name's journey through history saw many variations in spelling, reflecting the linguistic shifts and regional dialects of Sweden. Among these, "Wikström" in the modern sense, and even "Wiikström" in ancient scripts, held prominence. Another notable figure bearing this surname was Johan Wikstrom, a cartographer from Stockholm born in 1623, who contributed to the first comprehensive maps of Swedish territories in the mid-17th century.

Sweden's records demonstrate the prominence of the Wikstrom name in various societal roles. Anders Wikstrom, for example, a well-known botanist born in 1759, significantly contributed to the documentation of Scandinavian flora and maintained correspondences with Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. His botanical collections remain pivotal in Swedish natural history museums.

Moving to the 19th century, Per Wikstrom was a key figure in Swedish military history. Born in 1807, Per served as a high-ranking officer in the Swedish army during the turbulent Napoleonic Wars. His strategic input and leadership were recorded in several military dispatches preserved in Sweden's National Archives, highlighting his valued role.

In more recent history but still firmly within the historical context, Carl Olaf Wikstrom, born in 1884, was an early advocate for labor rights in Sweden. His work in establishing some of the earliest trade unions helped shape the labor landscape of modern Sweden. Carl Olaf’s efforts are chronicled in numerous labor movement publications from the early 20th century.

The surname Wikstrom remains an enduring emblem of Swedish heritage, embodying centuries of regional history and notable contributions to various fields ranging from cartography and botany to military and labor rights. Each generation bearing this name has contributed uniquely to Swedish society, making Wikstrom a name of historical significance and enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wikstrom

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

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

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

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