2000
#35,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 589
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Ahola
A Finnish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "edge of a glade" or "woodland clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 678 Americans carry the last name Ahola. That puts it at #40,048 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 505,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ahola surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
678
1 in 505,537
Census rank
#40,048
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
591
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 591 bearers of the surname Ahola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40048th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ahola, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ahola
The surname Ahola has its origins in Finland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Finnish word "ahola," which means "promontory" or "headland." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a promontory or on a headland.
Ahola is a relatively common surname in Finland, particularly in the western and southwestern regions of the country. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Turku, which was the capital of Finland until the early 19th century.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Ahola was Matti Ahola, a farmer and landowner from the village of Ahola in the municipality of Lohja. Matti Ahola was known for his contributions to the local community and his efforts in promoting agricultural practices in the region.
During the 18th century, the Ahola name appeared in various historical records, including the census records of the town of Pori. One of the most prominent individuals with this surname during this time was Jaakko Ahola (1732-1804), a merchant and trader who established successful businesses in the coastal areas of western Finland.
In the 19th century, the Ahola family continued to play a significant role in various fields. Antti Ahola (1815-1887) was a renowned Finnish politician and member of the Diet of Finland, representing the rural population of the Turku and Pori regions.
Another notable figure with the surname Ahola was Viljami Ahola (1865-1942), a Finnish composer and conductor. He is best known for his contributions to the development of Finnish classical music and his efforts in promoting the works of famous Finnish composers such as Jean Sibelius.
One of the most recent historical figures with the surname Ahola was Tauno Ahola (1913-1989), a Finnish diplomat and ambassador who served in various countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era.
While the surname Ahola may have originated from a specific geographic location, it has since become widely distributed across Finland and even beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ahola
Among Census respondents with the surname Ahola, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ahola bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ahola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 509
- Two or more races5.9% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ahola
Ahola appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#35,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 629
+40 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 273 places
2020
#40,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 591
-38 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 4,327 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,994 | 589 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,721 | 629 | 0.21 | +40 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 273 places |
| 2020 | #40,048 | 591 | 0.20 | -38 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 4,327 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ahola surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,721 | #40,048 | -12.1% |
| Count | 629 | 591 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.20 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ahola bearers went from 629 to 591 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 4,327 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,721 to #40,048.
FAQ
Ahola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ahola?
Name Census estimates that about 678 living Americans carry the surname Ahola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 505,537 residents.
How common is Ahola?
Ahola ranks #40,048 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 591 people with the surname Ahola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (678), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ahola.
Has Ahola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ahola went from 629 recorded bearers to 591. That is a decrease of 38 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,721 to #40,048.
What does the Census say about the background of Ahola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ahola, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (5.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ahola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ahola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (5.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ahola (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ahola mean?
A Finnish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "edge of a glade" or "woodland clearing." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ahola (0.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Ahola?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Ahola at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.