2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aila
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "oak tree," likely referring to someone who lived near or among oak trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Aila. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aila 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Aila in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aila, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.8%) and Two or More Races (10.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aila
The surname AILA has its origins in Finland, where it is believed to have emerged during the 13th century. The name is derived from the Finnish word "aila," which means "waves" or "billows." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with people who lived near the sea or a body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname AILA can be found in the Finnish census records of the 16th century. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of Finland, lending credence to the theory that it originated from those who lived near the sea.
In the 17th century, the surname AILA is mentioned in several Finnish church records. One notable example is the baptismal record of Matti AILA, born in 1652 in the village of Porvoo, located on the southern coast of Finland.
During the 18th century, the name AILA began to spread beyond the coastal regions of Finland as people migrated to other parts of the country. This period saw the emergence of several prominent individuals bearing the surname, including Johan AILA (1714-1792), a renowned Finnish poet and playwright.
As the 19th century dawned, the AILA surname continued to gain prominence in Finland. One of the most notable figures of this era was Juho AILA (1832-1911), a Finnish politician and activist who played a crucial role in the country's independence movement.
Throughout the 20th century, the AILA surname remained well-established in Finland. Notable figures include Elina AILA (1905-1987), a Finnish author and journalist, and Kari AILA (1930-2017), a Finnish actor and director who appeared in numerous films and television shows.
While the surname AILA is primarily associated with Finland, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration. However, its roots can be traced back to the coastal regions of Finland, where it first emerged as a name associated with those who lived near the sea or bodies of water.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aila
Among Census respondents with the surname Aila, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.8%) and Two or More Races (10.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Aila 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 Aila surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander47.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino37.8% · 45
- Two or more races10.1% · 12
- White4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aila
Aila appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 3,413 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 Aila 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 | #146,201 | #142,788 | 2.3% |
| Count | 113 | 119 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aila bearers went from 113 to 119 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 3,413 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,788.
FAQ
Aila surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aila?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Aila. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Aila?
Aila ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Aila. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Aila.
Has Aila become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aila went from 113 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 6 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Aila?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aila, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.8%) and Two or More Races (10.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.1% (56 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aila appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (47.1%), Hispanic (37.8%), Two or More Races (10.1%). 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 Aila (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 Aila mean?
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "oak tree," likely referring to someone who lived near or among oak trees. 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 Aila (0.04 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 common is the surname Aila?
Find out how many people have the surname Aila on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.