Find out how popular the last name Aalto is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Aalto.

Aalto, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Aalto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aalto in America

Aalto is the 74826th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aalto surname appeared 258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Aalto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aalto to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Aalto

The surname Aalto is a Finnish surname that originated in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "aalto", which means "wave" or "billow". The name likely originated from a place name or a topographical feature, such as a river or a body of water with waves or billows.

The earliest records of the Aalto surname can be traced back to the 17th century in Finland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johan Aalto, who was born in the town of Oulu in 1642. Another early record of the name is from the parish of Simo in northern Finland, where the family name Aalto was first recorded in the 1670s.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Aalto surname became more widespread in Finland, particularly in the coastal regions and areas near lakes and rivers. This is likely due to the name's association with water and its topographical origins.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Aalto was the renowned Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898-1976). He was known for his innovative and organic architectural designs, which often incorporated natural materials and curved forms. Other notable individuals with the Aalto surname include the Finnish writer and politician Armas Aalto (1897-1979), the Finnish painter and sculptor Eero Aalto (1910-1994), and the Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Aalto (1920-2019).

The Aalto surname has also been found in historical records from other Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Norway, suggesting that there may have been some migration of people bearing this name across the region in the past.

While the Aalto surname is predominantly Finnish, it has also been associated with other nationalities and cultures, particularly those with maritime or coastal connections. For example, the Dutch painter and engraver Aalto Aalders (1888-1936) and the Italian cinematographer Vittorio Aalto (1908-1967) both carried variations of the name, likely due to its connection to water and waves.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aalto

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Aalto.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Aalto was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Aalto has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Aalto was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Aalto, please contact us.

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