Explore the Family Name Westerlund

The meaning of Westerlund

Swedish and Danish: ornamental name composed of (an altered form of) the elements väster ‘western’ + lund ‘grove’, or a habitational name from a place so named. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Erik, Dagny, Iver, Knute, Nils.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Westerlund in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Westerlund has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Its rank fell from 16,891 in 2000 to 17,159 in 2010, reflecting a decline of 1.59%. Despite this drop in rank, the total number of individuals with the Westerlund surname grew by 6.17%, increasing from 1,555 to 1,651. However, its proportional representation per 100,000 people decreased by 3.45%, suggesting that while the absolute number of Westerlunds increased, they constitute a smaller fraction of the overall population.

20002010Change
Rank#16,891#17,159-1.59%
Count1,5551,6516.17%
Proportion per 100k0.580.56-3.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Westerlund

Regarding ethnic identity, the Westerlund surname showed some interesting trends over the decade. Data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows a notable increase in the proportion of Westerlunds identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (a rise of 31.08%) and those reporting two or more ethnicities (an impressive surge of 133.61%). The percentage of Westerlunds identifying as White decreased slightly by 4.08% from 94.28% in 2000 to 90.43% in 2010. The Hispanic representation among Westerlunds also saw a substantial increase, skyrocketing by 158.33%. Meanwhile, there were no reported instances of Westerlunds identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White94.28%90.43%-4.08%
Asian/Pacific Islander2.96%3.88%31.08%
Two or More Races1.22%2.85%133.61%
Hispanic0.96%2.48%158.33%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%