Explore the Family Name Torkelson
The meaning of Torkelson
1. Americanized form of Norwegian Torkelsen or its rare variant Torkellsen: patronymic from the personal name Torkel(l), a form of Old Norse Thorketill, composed of the name of the god Thórr (see Thor) + ketill ‘sacrificial cauldron, helmet’. Compare Thorkelson. 2. Americanized form (and a rare Swedish variant) of Swedish Torkelsson, rare Swedish cognate of 1 above. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Erik, Hjalmer, Selmer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Torkelson in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Torkelson saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 12,418th in popularity, but by 2010, it had fallen to 13,376th, a change of -7.71%. The number of people with the surname Torkelson also decreased slightly, from 2,292 in 2000 to 2,277 in 2010, a marginal decline of -0.65%. The proportion per 100,000 people also fell by -9.41%, from 0.85 to 0.77.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,418 | #13,376 | -7.71% |
| Count | 2,292 | 2,277 | -0.65% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.85 | 0.77 | -9.41% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Torkelson
Examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Torkelson, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. Most notably, the Hispanic population with this surname almost doubled, increasing by 96.88%. The percentage of Torkelsons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races also increased, by 12.86% and 17.56% respectively. The percentage of white Torkelsons experienced a small decline of -1.88%. Furthermore, there were newly reported populations of Torkelsons identifying as Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native in 2010, where there was no reported data in 2000. This could signal either growth in these communities or potentially increased comfort in self-reporting these identities.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.68% | 94.86% | -1.88% |
| Hispanic | 0.96% | 1.89% | 96.88% |
| Two or More Races | 1.31% | 1.54% | 17.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.7% | 0.79% | 12.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.66% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.26% | 0% |