2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Faletoi
A Samoan surname indicating one's origin or a former residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Faletoi. 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 Faletoi 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 Faletoi 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 Faletoi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.7%) and White (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Faletoi
The surname FALETOI is believed to have its origins in the Samoan region of the Pacific Islands. It is thought to date back to the 16th century or earlier.
The name is thought to be derived from the Samoan words "fale" meaning house or dwelling, and "toi" meaning skilled or skilled worker. Thus, the name may have originally referred to a skilled house builder or carpenter.
No definitive records exist of the name appearing in historical manuscripts or records from the region prior to the 19th century. However, oral traditions and family genealogies suggest the name was in use well before this time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname is Faletoiese, a Samoan high chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was a prominent leader of the Tuamasaga district on the island of Upolu.
Another early bearer of this name was Faletoipuapua, a Samoan orator and advisor to King Malietoa Laupepa in the 1800s. He was renowned for his skills in oratory and knowledge of Samoan customs and traditions.
In the late 19th century, Faletoiese Lolua was a respected leader and landowner from the village of Falealili on the island of Upolu. He played a role in the political affairs of Samoa during this period.
Moving into the 20th century, Faletoitoi Faaosofi was a Samoan farmer and village leader who lived from 1892 to 1976. He was known for his expertise in traditional farming methods and his efforts to preserve Samoan cultural practices.
Another notable individual with this surname was Faletoitoi Salima, a Samoan artist and woodcarver who lived from 1920 to 2005. His intricate carvings and artwork reflected traditional Samoan motifs and designs.
While the name FALETOI has its roots in Samoa, it is likely that individuals bearing this surname can now be found in various parts of the world due to migration and cultural diffusion over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Faletoi
Among Census respondents with the surname Faletoi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.7%) and White (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Faletoi 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 Faletoi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.2% · 74
- Two or more races27.7% · 33
- White6.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Faletoi
Faletoi 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
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,178 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 Faletoi 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 | #130,610 | #142,788 | -9.3% |
| Count | 130 | 119 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Faletoi bearers went from 130 to 119 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #142,788.
FAQ
Faletoi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Faletoi?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Faletoi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Faletoi?
Faletoi 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 Faletoi. 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 Faletoi.
Has Faletoi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Faletoi went from 130 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Faletoi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Faletoi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.7%) and White (6.7%). 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 Faletoi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Faletoi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.2%), Two or More Races (27.7%), White (6.7%). 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 Faletoi (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 Faletoi mean?
A Samoan surname indicating one's origin or a former residence. 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 Faletoi (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 many Americans have the surname Faletoi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.