Utah has more people claiming Danish ancestry than just about anywhere else in the United States.
According to a recently released report from the 1990 Census, only California has a larger number of those with Danish descent than does Utah.Sixteen percent of U.S. residents claiming Danish ancestry live in California, while 10 percent live in Utah.
That's 163,000 claiming Danish roots in Utah followed by fewer numbers in Minnesota, Iowa, Washington and Wisconsin.
Julius Andersen, who has been honorary consul for Denmark and Sweden in Utah for 31 years, said the report surprised him. He said that he was aware of Scandanavian immigration in the 1800s and a large immigration of Danes after World War II.
While most Danish identity has been absorbed into local society, there remains a Danish LDS congregation that continues to meet in Salt Lake City, Andersen said.
Nationally, Utah had the 13th largest group of Swedish descendants, 11th largest group of Welsh descendants and 15th largest group of English descendants.
Utah also ranked 18th in the number of those tracing Mexican and Norwegian heritage, 20th largest number having Spanish roots and 22nd largest for Scottish heritage.
Inside Utah, English ancestry ranked highest with 43.5 percent of residents claiming British roots followed by German, Danish and Irish ancestry. Some 750,000 Utahns claim English heritage.
Since 1980, those claiming Swedish descent now outnumber those of Scottish descent. Those with Dutch roots now also outrank those with French ancestry.
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(Chart)
Utah ancestry
percent of population
1990
English 43.5
German 17.4
Danish 9.5
Irish 7.9
Swedish 6.0
Scottish 5.2
Dutch 3.2
American 3.1
French 3.1
Welsh 2.8
1980
English 54.0
German 15.1
Danish 9.4
Irish 9.4
Scottish 6.3
Swedish 5.8
French 4.1
Dutch 3.0
Welsh 2.6
American Indian 2.3
Percentages may exceed 100 percent because of multiple ancestries
Source: U.S. Census