Nordic and Scandinavian Americans
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 10,365,489 (2.8%) alone or in combination 3,419,197 (1.0%) Nordic or Scandinavian alone | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Minnesota | 1,603,124 |
| California | 1,224,541 |
| Washington | 739,043 |
| Wisconsin | 728,248 |
| Illinois | 575,991 |
| Michigan | 403,888 |
| Florida | 355,458 |
| Oregon | 339,031 |
| Iowa | 338,161 |
| Utah | 333,405 |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| 61% Protestant (predominantly Lutheran), 22% Catholic, 14% other (no religion, Mormonism, etc.) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other North Germanic peoples • other Finns • Estonian Americans • Inuit • Sámi Americans | |
Nordic and Scandinavian Americans are Americans of Scandinavian and/or Nordic ancestry, including Danish Americans (estimate: 1,453,897), Faroese Americans, Finnish Americans (estimate: 653,222), Greenlandic Americans, Icelandic Americans (estimate: 49,442), Norwegian Americans (estimate: 4,602,337), and Swedish Americans (estimate: 4,293,208). Also included are persons who reported 'Scandinavian' ancestry (estimate: 582,549) on their census. According to 2021 census estimates, there are approximately 9,365,489 people of Scandinavian ancestry in the United States.
Norsemen had explored the eastern coast of North America as early as the 11th century, though they created no lasting settlements. Later, a Swedish colony briefly existed on the Delaware River during the 17th century. The vast majority of Americans of Nordic or Scandinavian ancestry, however, are descended from immigrants of the 19th century. This era saw mass emigration from Scandinavia following a population increase that the region's existing infrastructure could not support. Many prevailing traditions observed by Nordic and Scandinavian Americans are from this era, and are reflective of the lifestyle of rural immigrant communities during the late 19th century.