2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Finholt
A toponymic surname derived from a habitational name for someone from a place called Finholt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Finholt. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Finholt 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Finholt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Finholt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Finholt
The surname Finholt is of Danish origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Jutland, where the name was derived from the Old Danish word "finholt," meaning "fine grove" or "beautiful forest."
One of the earliest known references to the Finholt name can be found in the Danish Census Records of 1664, which lists several families bearing the surname in the town of Viborg. It is likely that these early Finholt families were landowners or resided near areas known for their picturesque woodlands.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Finholt name began to spread beyond Denmark, with some families migrating to other parts of Scandinavia and Northern Europe. In Sweden, the name appeared in the parish records of Gothenburg as early as 1712, with the birth of Erik Finholt.
Notably, the Finholt surname gained prominence in the late 18th century with the birth of Hans Christian Finholt (1770-1835), a Danish theologian and author who wrote extensively on moral philosophy. His works, including "Reflections on the Nature of Human Happiness," gained widespread recognition across Europe.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Finholt (1832-1892), a Norwegian painter renowned for his landscapes and seascapes. His paintings, which often depicted the rugged beauty of Norway's fjords and forests, are displayed in numerous galleries across Scandinavia.
In the realm of literature, the name Finholt is associated with the Swedish novelist and poet, Karin Finholt (1860-1931). Her debut novel, "The Wanderer's Return," published in 1892, was widely acclaimed for its vivid portrayal of rural life in Sweden.
The Finholt surname also found its way to the United States in the late 19th century, with several families immigrating from Denmark and Norway. One of the earliest recorded Finholts in America was Peter Finholt (1845-1912), a Norwegian-born farmer who settled in Minnesota.
Throughout its history, the surname Finholt has maintained a strong connection to its origins, evoking images of verdant forests and natural beauty. While its prevalence may have waned in modern times, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Scandinavia and the enduring legacy of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Finholt
Among Census respondents with the surname Finholt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Finholt 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 Finholt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 91
- Two or more races6.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Finholt
Finholt 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
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 2,427 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 Finholt 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 | #158,432 | #156,005 | 1.5% |
| Count | 102 | 99 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Finholt bearers went from 102 to 99 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 2,427 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,005.
FAQ
Finholt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Finholt?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Finholt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Finholt?
Finholt ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Finholt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Finholt.
Has Finholt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Finholt went from 102 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Finholt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Finholt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Finholt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Finholt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Finholt (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 Finholt mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a habitational name for someone from a place called Finholt. 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 Finholt (0.03 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 surname Finholt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.