 | |
| Total population | |
| 3,883,173 (1.1%) alone or in combination 1,230,354 (0.4%) Norwegian alone | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Midwest | 2,273,683 |
| West | 1,552,462 |
| South | 545,699 |
| Northeast | 266,881 |
 Minnesota | 868,361 |
 Wisconsin | 466,469 |
 California | 412,177 |
 Washington | 410,818 |
 North Dakota | 199,154 |
 Iowa | 173,640 |
 Illinois | 171,745 |
 Oregon | 164,676 |
 Texas | 129,081 |
 Arizona | 124,618 |
 Colorado | 119,164 |
 Florida | 117,444 |
 South Dakota | 113,543 |
 New York | 92,796 |
 Montana | 90,425 |
| Languages | |
| English,Norwegian American Norwegian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantlyEvangelical Lutheran Church in America,Evangelical Lutheran Synod) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| OtherNorwegians • otherNordic and Scandinavian Americans | |
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Norwegian Americans (Norwegian:Norskamerikanere/Norskamerikanarar) areAmericans with ancestral roots inNorway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans, according to the 2021 U.S. census;[a] most live in theUpper Midwest and on theWest Coast of the United States.
Norsemen from Greenland and Iceland were the first Europeans to reach North America.Leif Erikson reached North America viaNorse settlements in Greenland around the year 1000. Norse settlers from Greenland founded the settlement ofL'Anse aux Meadows inVinland, in what is now Newfoundland,Canada.[2] These settlers failed to establish a permanent settlement because of conflicts with indigenous people and within the Norse community.[citation needed]
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The Netherlands, and especially the cities ofAmsterdam andHoorn, had strong commercial ties with the coastal lumber trade of Norway during the 17th century and many Norwegians immigrated to Amsterdam. Some of them settled in Dutch colonies, although never in large numbers.[b] There were also Norwegian settlers inPennsylvania in the first half of the 18th century, upstate New York in the latter half of the same century, and inNew England during both halves.[1]
During the colonial period, Norwegian immigrants often joined the Dutch seeking opportunities for trade and a new life in America. The Dutch often took Norwegians with them to the New World for their sailing expertise.[3] There was a Norwegian presence inNew Amsterdam in the early part of the 17th century.Hans Hansen Bergen, a native ofBergen, Norway, was one of the earliest settlers of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, having immigrated in 1633. Another early Norwegian settler,Albert Andriessen Bradt, arrived in New Amsterdam in 1637.
Approximately 60 people had settled in theManhattan area before the region was taken over by theBritish Empire in 1664. The total number of Norwegians that settled inNew Netherland is not known. In the period that followed, many of the original Norwegian settlers in the area remained, including the family ofPieter Van Brugh, a colonialmayor of Albany, who was the grandson of early Norwegian immigrants.[4]
Many immigrants during the early 1800s sought religious freedom. From the mid-1800s however, the driving forces behind Norwegian immigration to the United States were agricultural disasters which led topoverty, from theEuropean Potato Failure of the 1840s to theFamine of 1866–68. Theagricultural revolution also put farmers out of work and pushed them to seek employment in a more industrialized America.[5]
The earliest immigrants from Norway to America emigrated mostly for religious motives, especially as members of theReligious Society of Friends or asHaugeans. To a great extent, this early emigration from Norway was born out of religious persecution, especially forQuakers and a local religious group, theHaugeans.[6]
Organized Norwegian immigration to North America began in 1825, when several dozen Norwegians leftStavanger bound for North America on thesloopRestauration (often called the "NorseMayflower").[7] Under the leadership ofCleng Peerson, theRestauration left Stavanger in July 1825 and ferried six families on a 14-week journey.[8] The ship landed in New York City, where it was at first impounded for exceeding its passenger limit. After intervention fromPresident John Quincy Adams, the passengers moved on to settle inKendall, New York with the help ofAndreas Stangeland, witnessing the opening of theErie Canal en route. After making the journey to Kendall, Cleng Peerson became a traveling emissary for Norwegian immigrants and died in a Norwegian Settlement nearCranfills Gap,Texas in 1865.[9] The descendants of these immigrants are referred to as "Sloopers", in reference to thesloop ship that brought them from Norway.[8] Many of the 1825 immigrants moved on from the Kendall Settlement in the mid-1830s, settling inIllinois andWisconsin.[9] These "Sloopers" gave impetus to the westward movement ofNorwegians by founding a settlement in theFox River area ofIllinois. A small urban colony of Norwegians arrived inChicago at about the same time.[10]
While about 65 Norwegians emigrated via Sweden and elsewhere in the intervening years, no emigrant ships left Norway for the New World until the 1836 departures of theDen Norske Klippe andNorden. In 1837, a group of immigrants fromTinn emigrated viaGothenburg to theFox River Settlement, near present-daySheridan, Illinois. It was the writings ofOle Rynning, who traveled to the U.S. on theÆgir in 1837 that energized Norwegian immigration, however.[11][12]
Throughout much of the latter part of the 19th century and into the 20th century, a vast majority of Norwegian emigration to both the United States and Canada followed a route commonly shared by most Swedish, Danish and Finnish emigrants of the period, being via England by means of the monopoly established by the leading shipping lines of Great Britain, primarily theWhite Star Line and theCunard Line, both of which operated chiefly out ofLiverpool, England.[13][14] These lines negotiated with smaller 'feeder lines', primarily theWilson Line, which was based out of the port city of Hull on England's east coast, to provide emigrants with passage from port cities such as Christiania (present-day Oslo), Bergen and Trondheim to England via Hull.[15] Steamship companies such as Cunard and White Star included fares for passage on these feeder ship in their overall ticket prices, along with railroad fares for passage between Hull and Liverpool and temporary accommodations in numerous hotels owned by the shipping lines in port cities such as Liverpool.[16]
Most Norwegian emigrants bound for the United States entered the country through New York City, with smaller numbers coming through other eastern ports such as Boston and Philadelphia. Other shipping lines such as theCanadian Pacific Line,[17] which operated chiefly out of Liverpool, and the Glasgow-basedAnchor Line[18] operated routes to ports in eastern Canada, primarilyQuebec City,Montreal andHalifax. Because Canadian-bound routes were slightly shorter, lines which disembarked at Canadian ports often provided quicker passages and cheaper fares. The Canadian route offered many advantages to the emigrant over traveling to the U.S. directly. "They moved on from Quebec both by rail and by steamer for another thousand or more miles (1,600 km) for a steerage fare of slightly less than $9.00."[citation needed] Steamers from Quebec, Canada brought them to Toronto, Canada then the immigrants often traveled by rail for 93 miles toCollingwood, Ontario, Canada on Lake Huron, from where steamers transported them across Lake Michigan to Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Not until the start of the 20th century did Norwegians accept Canada as a land of the second chance. This was also true of the many American-Norwegians who moved to Canada seeking homesteads and new economic opportunities. By 1921, one-third of all Norwegians in Canada had been born in the U.S.[citation needed]
Between 1825 and 1925, more than 800,000 Norwegians immigrated to North America—about one-third of Norway's population with the majority immigrating to the U.S., and lesser numbers immigrating to the Dominion of Canada. With the exception ofIreland, no single country contributed a larger percentage of its population to the United States than Norway.[19] Data from the U.S. Office of Immigration statistics of the number of Norwegians obtaining lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. from 1870 to 2016 highlights two peaks in the migration flow, the first one in the 1880s, and the second one in the first decade of the 20th century. It also shows an abrupt decrease after 1929,[20] during the economic crisis of the 1930s.
Beginning in 1836, Norwegian immigrants arrived in significant numbers annually. From the early "slooper" settlement inIllinois, Norwegian pioneers followed the general spread of population northwestward intoWisconsin.Wisconsin remained the center of Norwegian American activity up until theAmerican Civil War, a war in which a number of Norwegian Americans fought for the Union, such as in the15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment. In the 1850s Norwegian land seekers began moving into bothIowa andMinnesota, and serious migration tothe Dakotas was underway by the 1870s.[21]
Norwegian immigration through the years was predominantly motivated by economic concerns. Compounded by crop failures, Norwegian agricultural resources were unable to keep up with population growth, and theHomestead Act of 1862 promised fertile, flat land. As a result, settlement trended westward with each passing year. The majority of Norwegian agrarian settlements developed in the northern region of the so-called Homestead Act Triangle between theMississippi and theMissouri rivers. Early Norwegian settlements were in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Illinois, but moved westward into Wisconsin,Minnesota, and the Dakotas. Later waves of Norwegian immigration went to the Western states such asMontana,Washington,Oregon, andUtah through missionary efforts which gained Norwegian and Swedish converts toMormonism. Additionally, craftsmen also immigrated to a larger, more diverse market. Until recently, there was a Norwegian area inSunset Park, Brooklyn originally populated by Norwegian craftsmen.
Theupper Midwest became home to most immigrants. In 1910 almost 80 percent of the one million or more Norwegian Americans lived in that part of the United States. In 1990, 51.7 percent of the Norwegian American population lived in theMidwest. At that time,Minnesota had the largest Norwegian American population andMinneapolis functioned as a hub for Norwegian American secular and religious activities. Chicago was an attractive destination.[22]
In thePacific Northwest, thePuget Sound region, and especially the city ofSeattle, became another center of immigrant life. Enclaves of Norwegian immigrants emerged as well in greaterBrooklyn,New York, inAlaska, andTexas. After Minnesota,Wisconsin had the most Norwegians in 1990, followed by California, Washington, and North Dakota.
In a letter from Chicago dated November 9, 1855, Elling Haaland fromStavanger, Norway, assured his relatives back home that "of all nations Norwegians are those who are most favored by Americans." Svein Nilsson, a Norwegian-American journalist recorded that "A newcomer from Norway who arrives here will be surprised indeed to find in the heart of the country, more than a thousand miles from his landing place, a town where language and way of life so unmistakably remind him of his native land."[23]
This sentiment was expressed frequently as the immigrants attempted to seek acceptance and negotiate entrance into the new society. In their segregated farming communities,Norwegians were spared direct prejudice and might indeed have been viewed as a welcome ingredient in a region's development. Still, a sense of inferiority was inherent in their position. The immigrants were occasionally referred to as "guests" in the United States and they were not immune to condescending and disparaging attitudes by old-stock Americans. Economic adaptation required a certain amount of interaction with a larger commercial environment, from working for an American farmer to doing business with the seed dealer, the banker, and the elevator operator. Products had to be grown and sold—all of which pulled Norwegian farmers into social contact with their American neighbors. In Pennsylvania a group of Norwegians flew a flag described as: "The Cross of Norway in the centre, surrounded by the Stars and Stripes of the United States."[24]
Norwegian-American debating societies provided opportunities for immigrants to discuss and debate issues of the day in an atmosphere conducive to learning while also developing skills useful in American life. Beginning in 1889, both theWig Debate Society andForward Debate Society, located in Minnesota, hosted weekly debates. Many topics were discussed includingvoting rights,women's rights, andracism. These societies helped to develop friendship and understanding.[25]
In places likeBrooklyn, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle, Norwegian-Americans interacted with the multi-cultural environment of the city while constructing a complex ethnic community that met the needs of its members. It might be said that a Scandinavian melting pot existed in the urban setting among Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes, evidenced in residential and occupational patterns, in political mobilization, and in public commemoration. Inter-marriage promoted inter-ethnic assimilation. There are no longer any significant Norwegian immigrant enclaves or neighborhoods in America's largest cities. Beginning in the 1920s, Norwegian-Americans increasingly became suburban.[26]
Norwegian Americans cultivated bonds withNorway, sending gifts home often and offering aid during natural disasters and other hardships in Norway. Relief in the form of collected funds was forthcoming without delay. Only during conflicts within theUnion between Sweden and Norway, however, did Norwegian Americans become involved directly in the political life of Norway. In the 1880s they formed societies to assist Norwegian liberals, collecting money to assist rifle clubs in Norway should the political conflict between liberals and conservatives call for arms. The ongoing tensions between Sweden and Norway and Norway's humiliating retreat in 1895 fueled nationalism and created anguish. Norwegian Americans raised money to strengthen Norway's military defenses. The unilateral declaration by Norway on June 7, 1905, to dissolve its union with Sweden yielded a new holiday of patriotic celebration.[citation needed]
In 1925, theNorse-American Centennial was held at theMinnesota State Fair, celebrating 100 years of organized Norwegian migration to the United States. The Centennial program included musical performances, a pageant, exhibitions, athletic events, and speeches from Norwegian American leaders as well as PresidentCalvin Coolidge.[27]
In American popular culture, Norwegian Americans were the central characters in the popular CBS network television series,Mama (1949–1956). Set in San Francisco around 1900, the weekly program focused on working-class family life.[28] They also form the background toGarrison Keillor's "Lake Wobegon" series of novels as well asA Prairie Home Companion, a radio variety show that contains much humorous material from the "Norwegian American Midwest".[citation needed]
According to a 2018 paper, Norwegian immigrants who lived in large ethnic enclaves in the United States in the 1910 and 1920 "had lower occupational earnings, were more likely to be in farming occupations, and were less likely to be in white-collar occupations."[29]
Today, the traditions practiced by Norwegian Americans are distinct from those practiced in modern-day Norway. Norwegian Americans are primarily descendants of 19th or early 20th centuryworking class and rural Norwegians, and the traditions which these immigrants brought with them represented a specific segment of the Norwegian population and cultural period. As these traditions continued to evolve in an American context, they are today divergent from that of modern-day Norway.[30]
Norwegian Americans actively celebrate and maintain their heritage in many ways. Much of these traditions center uponLutheran-Evangelical church communities. Other organizations, such as theSons and Daughters of Norway and theChicago Norske Klub also serve to preserve their ethnic heritage. Culinary customs (e.g.,lutefisk andlefse), national dress (bunad), and Norwegian holidays (Syttende Mai) are also popular.[citation needed] Some regional festivals celebrate Norwegian heritage, predominantly in areas with a high density of Norwegian Americans, such asNorsk Høstfest (English:Norwegian Autumn Festival), an annual festival held inMinot, North Dakota.
A number of towns in the United States, particularly in theUpper Midwest, are known for their display of Norwegian heritage, including:Stoughton, Wisconsin;Sunburg, Minnesota;Ulen, Minnesota; andWestby, Wisconsin.Starbuck, Minnesota is known to produce the largestlefse in the world.[citation needed] Other regions known for their Norwegian heritage or origins include:Norge, Virginia;Petersburg, Alaska;Poulsbo, Washington; andLapskaus Boulevard, the nickname of 8th Avenue inBrooklyn.
There are a number of museums commemorating the Norwegian-American immigrant experience.Norskedalen is a natural and cultural heritage site nearCoon Valley, Wisconsin, spread over 440 acres which exhibits the Norwegian immigrant experience of the late 1800s.Little Norway, Wisconsin is a living museum of a Norwegian village located inBlue Mounds, Wisconsin. TheNational Nordic Museum in theBallard, a districtSeattle heavily settled by Scandinavian immigrants, serves as a community gathering place. TheVesterheim Norwegian-American Museum inDecorah, Iowa is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to the experiences of a single immigrant population and has an extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts.Chapel in the Hills, located inRapid City, South Dakota, is an exact replica of theBorgund Stave Church ofLærdal Municipality, Norway. The church's site also maintains other period typical historical buildings.
Although today Norway is relatively secular,[31] Norwegian-Americans are among the most religious ethnic groups in the United States, with 90% acknowledging a religious affiliation in 1998.[30] Because membership to theState Church was mandatory until the 19th century in Norway, all ethnic Norwegians have traditionally been Lutheran.[citation needed] Today, many Norwegian Americans remain Lutheran, though significant numbers converted to other Christian denominations. Some Norwegians immigrated to the United States in hope of practicing other religions freely. A significant number of Norwegian immigrants and their descendants wereMethodists concentrated especially in Chicago, with its own theological seminary, while others converted to becomeBaptists. There were also groups ofQuakers, relating back to "the Sloopers," andMormons who joined the trek to the "New Jerusalem" inSalt Lake City, Utah.[citation needed]
Most Norwegian immigrants to the United States, particularly in the migration wave between the 1860s and early 20th century, were members of theChurch of Norway, an evangelicalLutheran church established by theConstitution of Norway. As they settled in their new homeland and forged their own communities, however, Norwegian-American Lutherans diverged from the state church in many ways, forming synods and conferences that ultimately contributed to the present Lutheran establishment in the United States.[32] The NorwegianLutheran church was a focal point in rural settlements in theUpper Midwest. The congregation became an all-encompassing institution for its members, creating a tight social network that touched all aspects of immigrant life. The force of tradition in religious practice made the church a central institution in the urban environment as well. The severe reality of urban life increased the social role of the church.[citation needed]
The officialState Church in Norway did not extend pastoral care to emigrants and provided no guidance in the formation of new congregations in the United States. The Church of Norway was seen as an integrated part of the Norwegian state administration with no particular responsibility for people outside of Norway, with the exception of sailors and those who remained citizens. As a consequence, no fewer than 14 Lutheran synods were founded by Norwegian immigrants between 1846 and 1900. In 1917 most of the factions reconciled doctrinal differences and organized theNorwegian Lutheran Church in America. It was one of the church bodies that in 1960 formed theAmerican Lutheran Church, which in 1988 became a constituent part of the newly createdEvangelical Lutheran Church in America.[33]
Several Lutheran colleges and higher education institutions were founded by Norwegian Americans, which retain a Norwegian lutheran identity today.Luther College, located inDecorah, Iowa was founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1861 and is today associated with theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America.Concordia College inMoorhead, Minnesota is also associated with theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America and was founded by Norwegian settlers in 1891. Other Norwegian Lutheran colleges include:Augsburg University,Augustana College,Bethany Lutheran College,Pacific Lutheran University,St. Olaf College, andWaldorf College.
Use of theNorwegian language in the United States was at its peak between 1900 andWorld War I, then declined in the 1920s and 1930s. Over one million Americans spoke Norwegian as their primary language from 1900 to World War I, and more than 3,000Lutheran churches in the Upper Midwest used Norwegian as their sole language. There were hundreds of Norwegian-language newspapers across the Upper Midwest.[34]
However, use of the language declined in part due to the rise of nationalism among the American population during and after World War I. During this period, readership of Norwegian-language publications fell. Norwegian Lutheran churches began to hold their services in English, and the younger generation of Norwegian Americans were encouraged to speak English rather than Norwegian. When Norway itself was liberated fromNazi Germany in 1945, relatively few Norwegian Americans under the age of 40 still spoke Norwegian as their primary language (although many still understood the language). As such, they were not passing the language on to their children, the next generation of Norwegian Americans.
According to the U.S. Census however, only 55,475 Americans spoke Norwegian at home as of 2000, and the American Community Survey in 2005 showed that only 39,524 people use the language at home.[35] Still, most Norwegian Americans can speak a commonNorwegian with easy words like hello, yes and no. Today, there are still 1,209 people who only understandNorwegian or who do not speak English well in theUnited States. In 2000 this figure was 215 for those under 17 years old, whereas it increased to 216 in 2005. For other age groups, the numbers went down. For those who are from 18 to 64 years old, went down from 915 in 2000 to 491 in 2005. For those who are older than 65 years it went drastically down from 890 to 502 in the same period.[35]
Many Lutheran colleges that were established by immigrants and people of Norwegian background, such asLuther College inDecorah, Iowa,Pacific Lutheran University inTacoma, Washington, andSt. Olaf College inNorthfield, Minnesota, continue to offer Norwegian majors in their undergraduate programs. Many major American universities, such as theUniversity of Washington,University of Oregon,University of Wisconsin–Madison, and theIndiana University offer Norwegian as a language within their Germanic language studies programs.
Two Norwegian Lutheran churches in the United States continue to use Norwegian as a primary liturgical language,Mindekirken inMinneapolis andMinnekirken in Chicago. There are also several Norwegian Seaman's Churches in the U.S. that have services in Norwegian. They are located in Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, and New York.
Literary writing in Norwegian in North America includes the works ofOle Edvart Rølvaag, whose best-known workGiants in the Earth ("I de dage", literallyIn Those Days) was published in both English and Norwegian versions. Rølvaag was a professor from 1906 to 1931 at St. Olaf College, where he was also head of the Norwegian studies department beginning in 1916.[36]
As of 2000, U.S. communities with high percentages of people who use Norwegian language were:[37]
As of 2000, the ten U.S. counties with the highest percentage of Norwegian language speakers were:[37]
| State | Age 5–17 | Age 18–64 | Age 65+ | Total (2020)[38] | Total (2005)[39] | Percent (2005) | Total (2000)[40] | Percent (2000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 2,665 | 16,959 | 9,313 | 28,937 | 39,524 | 0.0% | 55,311 | 0.0% |
| California | 337 | 2,305 | 935 | 3,577 | 4,669 | 0.0% | 5,865 | 0.0% |
| Washington | 174 | 1,784 | 1,419 | 3,377 | 4,615 | 0.0% | 5,460 | 0.0% |
| Texas | 312 | 1,556 | 281 | 2,149 | 2,925 | 0.0% | 2,209 | 0.0% |
| New York | 51 | 1,022 | 983 | 2,056 | 2,833 | 0.0% | 4,200 | 0.0% |
| Florida | 179 | 1,167 | 697 | 2,043 | 2,043 | 0.0% | 2,709 | 0.0% |
| Minnesota | 196 | 844 | 722 | 1,762 | 2,972 | 0.0% | 8,060 | 0.1% |
| Wisconsin | 60 | 423 | 762 | 1,245 | 2,533 | 0.0% | 3,520 | 0.0% |
| Colorado | 184 | 616 | 137 | 937 | 622 | 0.0% | 1,110 | 0.0% |
| Illinois | 51 | 488 | 315 | 854 | 667 | 0.0% | 1,389 | 0.0% |
 Utah | 55 | 603 | 182 | 840 | ||||
| North Dakota | 14 | 217 | 591 | 822 | 1,743 | 0.2% | 2,809 | 0.4% |
| Oregon | 487 | 205 | 692 | 1,018 | 0.0% | 1,105 | 0.0% | |
 Massachusetts | 122 | 357 | 186 | 665 | ||||
 Pennsylvania | 78 | 358 | 197 | 633 | ||||
| Arizona | 85 | 255 | 227 | 567 | 810 | 0.0% | 1,069 | 0.0% |
 New Jersey | 54 | 325 | 165 | 544 | 1,410 | 0.0% | 1,829 | 0.0% |
 Maryland | 90 | 282 | 143 | 515 | 621 | 0.0% | 525 | 0.0% |
 Michigan | 77 | 321 | 41 | 439 | 507 | 0.0% | 740 | 0.0% |
 Virginia | 113 | 282 | 37 | 432 | ||||
 Connecticut | 38 | 252 | 90 | 380 | 793 | 0.0% | 789 | 0.0% |
 Alaska | 48 | 254 | 45 | 347 | ||||
 North Carolina | 212 | 118 | 330 | 1,258 | 0.0% | 360 | 0.0% | |
 Georgia (U.S. state) | 272 | 38 | 310 | 505 | 0.0% | 255 | 0.0% | |
 Ohio | 25 | 238 | 19 | 282 | ||||
 Indiana | 149 | 104 | 253 | |||||
 Nevada | 167 | 79 | 246 | |||||
 Oklahoma | 183 | 45 | 228 | |||||
 Rhode Island | 23 | 163 | 34 | 220 | ||||
 South Carolina | 48 | 100 | 62 | 210 | ||||
 Tennessee | 198 | 4 | 202 | |||||
 Arkansas | 77 | 113 | 190 | |||||
| Iowa | 89 | 80 | 169 | 1,044 | 0.0% | 1,150 | 0.0% | |
| Montana | 11 | 101 | 55 | 167 | 1,146 | 0.1% | 920 | 0.1% |
 Alabama | 22 | 64 | 65 | 151 | ||||
 Missouri | 12 | 74 | 58 | 144 | ||||
 Idaho | 16 | 61 | 38 | 115 | ||||
 Nebraska | 34 | 66 | 100 | |||||
 New Mexico | 9 | 67 | 20 | 96 | ||||
 Maine | 91 | 91 | ||||||
 District of Columbia | 54 | 28 | 82 | |||||
 New Hampshire | 20 | 29 | 31 | 80 | ||||
 Kansas | 3 | 70 | 73 | |||||
| South Dakota | 38 | 30 | 68 | |||||
 Kentucky | 31 | 33 | 3 | 67 | ||||
 Mississippi | 48 | 10 | 58 | |||||
 Vermont | 24 | 7 | 31 | |||||
 Louisiana | 17 | 13 | 30 | |||||
 West Virginia | 16 | 14 | 30 | |||||
 Hawaii | 26 | 26 | ||||||
 Wyoming | 12 | 12 | ||||||
 Delaware | 0 |
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2022) |
| Year/period | Number of immigrants every year/period[41] |
|---|---|
| 1836–1840 | 1,200 |
| 1841–1845 | 5,000 |
| 1846–1850 | 12,000 |
| 1851–1855 | 20,270 |
| 1856–1860 | 15,800 |
| 1861 | 8,900 |
| 1862 | 5,250 |
| 1863 | 1,100 |
| 1864 | 4,300 |
| 1865 | 4,000 |
| 1866 | 15,455 |
| 1867 | 12,828 |
| 1868 | 13,209 |
| 1869 | 18,055 |
| 1870 | 14,788 |
| 1871 | 12,055 |
| 1872 | 13,081 |
| 1873 | 9,998 |
| 1874 | 4,565 |
| 1875 | 3,972 |
| 1876 | 4,313 |
| 1877 | 3,195 |
| 1878 | 4,833 |
| 1879 | 7,607 |
| 1880 | 19,615 |
| 1881 | 25,956 |
| 1882 | 28,788 |
| 1883 | 22,167 |
| 1884 | 14,762 |
| 1885 | 13,971 |
| 1886 | 15,123 |
| 1887 | 20,729 |
| 1888 | 21,431 |
| 1889 | 12,624 |
| 1890 | 10,969 |
| 1891 | 13,335 |
| 1892 | 17,040 |
| 1893 | 18,766 |
| 1894 | 11,876 |
| 1895 | 6,161 |
| 1896 | 6,607 |
| 1897 | 4,583 |
| 1898 | 4,819 |
| 1899 | 6,517 |
| 1900 | 10,786 |
| (2010) | 1,100[42] |
| Total (1836–1900) | 522,453 |
| Region | Midwest | West | South | Northeast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Americans | 2,273,683 | 1,552,462 | 545,699 | 266,881 |
| Percent of total population | 3.4% | 2.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Percent of Norwegian Americans | 49.4% | 32.9% | 12.0% | 5.4% |
| Year | United States | Norwegian Americans | Percent | ±% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 23,191,876 | 13,000 | 0.1% | — |
| 1910 | 92,228,496 | 1,000,000 | 1.0% | +7592.3% |
| 1980 | 226,545,805 | 3,453,839 | 1.5% | +245.4% |
| 1990 | 248,709,873 | 3,869,395 | 1.5% | +12.0% |
| 2000 | 281,421,906 | 4,477,725 | 1.6% | +15.7% |
| 2009 | 304,059,728 | 4,642,526 | 1.5% | +3.7% |
| State | Norwegian Americans (1980)[43] | Percent (1980) | Norwegian Americans (1990)[44] | Percent (1990) | Norwegian Americans (2000)[45] | Percent (2000) | Norwegian Americans (2009)[46] | Percent (2009) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3,453,839 | 1.8% | 3,869,395 | 1.5% | 4,477,725 | 1.6% | 4,642,526 | 1.5% |
| Minnesota | 712,258 | 19.1% | 757,212 | 17.3% | 850,742 | 17.3% | 868,361 | 16.5% |
| Wisconsin | 391,650 | 9.1% | 416,271 | 8.5% | 454,831 | 8.5% | 466,469 | 8.2% |
| California | 367,949 | 1.7% | 411,282 | 1.3% | 436,128 | 1.3% | 412,177 | 1.1% |
| Washington | 286,077 | 8.1% | 333,521 | 6.8% | 367,508 | 6.2% | 410,818 | 6.2% |
| North Dakota | 184,265 | 30.1% | 189,106 | 29.6% | 193,158 | 30.1% | 199,154 | 30.8% |
| Iowa | 153,187 | 6.0% | 152,084 | 5.4% | 166,667 | 5.7% | 173,640 | 5.8% |
| Illinois | 167,995 | 1.7% | 167,003 | 1.4% | 178,923 | 1.4% | 171,745 | 1.3% |
| Oregon | 113,290 | 5.1% | 124,216 | 4.3% | 147,262 | 4.3% | 164,676 | 4.3% |
| Texas | 65,335 | 0.5% | 94,096 | 0.5% | 118,968 | 0.6% | 129,081 | 0.5% |
| Arizona | 44,011 | 1.8% | 70,940 | 1.9% | 106,771 | 2.1% | 124,618 | 1.9% |
| Colorado | 59,948 | 2.3% | 75,646 | 2.2% | 109,744 | 2.6% | 119,164 | 2.4% |
| Florida | 56,567 | 0.7% | 90,375 | 0.6% | 114,687 | 0.7% | 117,444 | 0.6% |
| South Dakota | 98,995 | 15.8% | 106,361 | 15.2% | 115,292 | 15.3% | 113,543 | 14.0% |
| New York | 94,083 | 0.6% | 90,158 | 0.5% | 90,524 | 0.5% | 92,796 | 0.5% |
| Montana | 82,579 | 12.0% | 86,460 | 10.8% | 95,525 | 10.6% | 90,425 | 9.3% |
| Michigan | 72,084 | 0.8% | 72,261 | 0.7% | 85,753 | 0.9% | 86,872 | 0.9% |
| Utah | 30,053 | 2.3% | 36,178 | 2.0% | 60,567 | 2.7% | 70,946 | 2.5% |
| Virginia | 24,409 | 0.5% | 35,815 | 0.5% | 46,877 | 0.7% | 49,826 | 0.6% |
| Idaho | 27,840 | 3.4% | 32,956 | 3.2% | 46,308 | 3.6% | 47,891 | 3.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 25,447 | 0.2% | 31,146 | 0.2% | 38,869 | 0.3% | 47,839 | 0.4% |
| North Carolina | 10,775 | 0.2% | 20,184 | 0.3% | 32,627 | 0.4% | 47,136 | 0.5% |
| Missouri | 23,580 | 0.5% | 29,531 | 0.5% | 40,887 | 0.7% | 45,428 | 0.8% |
| New Jersey | 42,697 | 0.6% | 46,991 | 0.6% | 48,403 | 0.6% | 44,010 | 0.5% |
| Ohio | 27,410 | 0.3% | 31,911 | 0.2% | 41,537 | 0.4% | 42,658 | 0.4% |
| Nebraska | 27,522 | 1.9% | 30,533 | 1.9% | 39,536 | 2.3% | 39,921 | 2.2% |
| Nevada | 14,531 | 2.1% | 23,229 | 1.9% | 38,353 | 1.9% | 38,154 | 1.4% |
| Georgia (U.S. state) | 12,214 | 0.3% | 21,388 | 0.3% | 33,858 | 0.4% | 35,881 | 0.4% |
| Massachusetts | 29,015 | 0.5% | 30,726 | 0.5% | 36,106 | 0.6% | 34,355 | 0.5% |
| Indiana | 21,725 | 0.5% | 25,978 | 0.4% | 34,174 | 0.6% | 33,650 | 0.5% |
| Kansas | 18,635 | 0.9% | 21,878 | 0.8% | 29,773 | 1.1% | 32,242 | 1.1% |
| Maryland | 18,783 | 0.5% | 22,520 | 0.4% | 27,131 | 0.5% | 31,020 | 0.5% |
| Alaska | 15,100 | 4.6% | 23,087 | 4.1% | 26,439 | 4.2% | 30,366 | 4.3% |
| Tennessee | 9,122 | 0.2% | 12,098 | 0.2% | 21,654 | 0.4% | 28,009 | 0.4% |
| Oklahoma | 14,065 | 0.6% | 17,401 | 0.5% | 21,923 | 0.6% | 23,507 | 0.6% |
| Connecticut | 18,157 | 0.6% | 19,004 | 0.5% | 21,693 | 0.6% | 18,403 | 0.5% |
| New Mexico | 9,909 | 0.8% | 13,936 | 0.9% | 18,088 | 1.0% | 18,078 | 0.9% |
| Alabama | 6,521 | 0.2% | 8,489 | 0.2% | 13,779 | 0.3% | 17,230 | 0.4% |
| Wyoming | 15,263 | 3.8% | 18,047 | 3.9% | 21,204 | 4.3% | 16,900 | 3.1% |
| South Carolina | 5,897 | 0.2% | 9,170 | 0.2% | 14,279 | 0.4% | 14,916 | 0.3% |
| Arkansas | 6,185 | 0.3% | 8,778 | 0.3% | 13,046 | 0.5% | 13,293 | 0.5% |
| Kentucky | 5,693 | 0.2% | 7,355 | 0.1% | 10,826 | 0.3% | 12,345 | 0.3% |
| New Hampshire | 5,592 | 0.7% | 8,401 | 0.7% | 10,301 | 0.8% | 11,229 | 0.8% |
| Louisiana | 8,121 | 0.2% | 9,510 | 0.2% | 11,520 | 0.3% | 11,128 | 0.2% |
| Maine | 5,472 | 0.5% | 7,256 | 0.5% | 9,827 | 0.8% | 9,008 | 0.7% |
| Hawaii | 7,707 | 0.8% | 9,054 | 0.8% | 9,632 | 0.8% | 8,249 | 0.6% |
| Mississippi | 3,384 | 0.1% | 4,052 | 0.1% | 7,088 | 0.2% | 6,226 | 0.2% |
| Delaware | 2,511 | 0.5% | 3,036 | 0.4% | 3,941 | 0.5% | 4,777 | 0.5% |
| Rhode Island | 3,560 | 0.4% | 4,010 | 0.3% | 4,307 | 0.4% | 4,697 | 0.4% |
| Vermont | 2,454 | 0.5% | 3,537 | 0.6% | 4,498 | 0.7% | 4,544 | 0.7% |
| West Virginia | 2,211 | 0.1% | 2,598 | 0.1% | 3,855 | 0.2% | 3,880 | 0.2% |
| District of Columbia | 2,006 | 0.3% | 2,620 | 0.4% | 2,336 | 0.4% | 3,801 | 0.6% |
 Puerto Rico | 318 | 0.0% | 172 | 0.0% |
In entertainment,Sigrid Gurie, "the siren of the fjords," starred in numerous motion pictures in the 1930s and 1940s. Other Hollywood actors and personalities with one Norwegian parent or grandparent includeJames Arness,Paris Hilton,James Cagney,Peter Graves,Tippi Hedren,Lance Henriksen,Celeste Holm,Kristanna Loken,Robert Mitchum,Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen,Elizabeth Olsen,Piper Perabo,Chris Pratt,Priscilla Presley,Michelle Williams,Rainn Wilson andRenée Zellweger. Seminalprotopunk musiciansIggy Pop ofThe Stooges andDavid Johansen of theNew York Dolls andDon Dokken of the heavy metal bandDokken have Norwegian ancestry.Paul Waaktaar-Savoy of the synth pop banda-ha is Norwegian, having been born and raised inOslo. He is a naturalized American citizen and has homes in both Oslo and New York City.
In journalism,Eric Sevareid, was a well-known a CBS reporter and commentator. In literature,Ole Edvart Rølvaag wrote about the immigrant experience, especially the Norwegian-American experience inThe Dakotas. Rølvaag's home is aNational Historic Landmark.Tomi Lahren, is a FOX Nation host and former host of her own The Blaze TV show as well as a FOX News commentator.
In labor unions,Andrew Furuseth was largely responsible for the passage of four reforms that changed the lives of American mariners. Two of them, theMaguire Act of 1895 and theWhite Act of 1898, ended corporal punishment and abolished imprisonment for deserting a vessel. TheSeamen's Act of 1915 included all these and was his main project.
Minnesota Democratic SenatorsHubert Humphrey andWalter Mondale served as the 38th and 42nd vice presidents of the United States, respectively, and were nominees for president in 1968 and 1984, respectively.Earl Warren of California was the 14thChief Justice of the United States.Pete Hegseth is the incumbentSecretary of Defense.[47]
In science,Ernest Lawrence won theNobel Prize in Physics in 1939.[48]Lars Onsager won the 1968Nobel Prize in Chemistry.Norman Borlaug, father of theGreen Revolution, won theNobel Peace Prize in 1970.Christian B. Anfinsen won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1972.Ivar Giaever won the Nobel Prize in Physics 1973.Carl Richard Hagen is noted for his work in physics.
In engineering,Clayton Jacobson II is credited with the invention of the modernpersonal watercraft.Ole Singstad was a pioneer of underwater tunnels.Ole Evinrude invented the firstoutboard motor with practical commercial application, recognizable today on modernmotorboats. AstronautDeke Slayton was thedocking module pilot for theApollo–Soyuz mission, the first crewed international spaceflight.
In religion,Olaf M. Norlie created theSimplified New Testament.Herman Amberg Preus was a key leader in the development of the Synod of theNorwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.Bernt Julius Muus was the principal founder andThorbjorn N. Mohn was the first president ofSt. Olaf College.Peter Laurentius Larsen andUlrik Vilhelm Koren both helped foundLuther College (Iowa).
In business,Ole Bardahl founded theBardahl company,Conrad Nicholson Hilton was the founder of theHilton Hotels chain,Kenneth Harry Olsen co-foundedDigital Equipment Corporation,James Trane andReuben Trane foundedTrane Inc.,N. O. Nelson was the founder of theN. O. Nelson Manufacturing Co. andAlfred M. Moen foundedMoen Incorporated.Gary Kildall, creator of theCP/Moperating system, foundedDigital Research in 1974.
In sports,Knute Rockne became one of the greatest coaches incollege football history, whileBabe Zaharias was named by theGuinness Book of Records as the most versatile female athlete of all time. Zaharias achieved outstanding success ingolf,basketball andtrack and field athletics. Additionally,Stein Eriksen won the gold medal in theGiant Slalom event at the1952 Winter Olympics, which were held inOslo,Norway. He also won a silver medal in theslalom race. Eriksen was the first skier from outside theAlps to win an Olympic men'salpine gold medal. He also won three gold medals at the1954 World Championships inÅre,Sweden, and a bronze medal at the1950 World Championships inAspen, Colorado. Shortly after his success in the 1952 Olympics, Eriksen moved to America where he continues to live. He worked as a ski-instructor and ski school-director at various ski schools such asSugarbush in Vermont, andAspen in Colorado. He is currently director of skiing at theDeer Valley Resort in Utah, and also serves as host of the Stein Eriksen Lodge, a ski lodge inDeer Valley, Utah.
In medicine,Owen Harding Wangensteen was a surgeon and inventor known for surgical teaching and innovation at theUniversity of Minnesota. He developed theWangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine.Earl Bakken developed the first wearable transistorizedpacemaker and founded the Fortune 500 medical technology companyMedtronic as well as theBakken Museum.John H. Lawrence, is known as the father ofnuclear medicine. As many historians claim, the genesis of this medical specialty in the United States took place in 1936, when John Lawrence took a leave of absence from his faculty position atYale Medical School, to visit his brotherErnest Lawrence at his new radiation laboratory (now known as theLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) in Berkeley, California.[49]
In humanitarian work,Greg Mortenson, born in Minnesota, whose ancestors came fromTromsø in 1876, has worked since 1993 to build over 150 schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is the author of best-sellerThree Cups of Tea, which has sold over 4 million copies in 49 countries, includingNorway.
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