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

Hakala, 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 Hakala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hakala in America

Hakala is the 19614th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hakala surname appeared 1,375 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 Hakala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hakala 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 Hakala

The surname Hakala has its origins in Finland, dating back to the late medieval period or perhaps even earlier. It is believed to be derived from the Finnish word "hakala," which translates to "a clearing in the forest" or "a glade." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with people who lived in or near such clearings or forest dwellings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hakala can be found in the Finnish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries. These records often mentioned individuals with variations of the name, such as Hakalahti, Hakalax, or Hakalander, indicating the potential geographical origins or connections of the family.

In the 18th century, the name Hakala appeared in various Finnish historical documents, including land ownership records and tax registers. Notable individuals from this period include Matti Hakala (1732-1805), a farmer and landowner from the Ostrobothnia region of western Finland.

As the name spread across Finland, it was sometimes associated with specific place names or locations. For instance, the village of Hakala in the municipality of Jokioinen was likely named after an early settler or family with the surname Hakala.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals with the surname Hakala achieved recognition in various fields. These include:

1. Juho Hakala (1832-1911), a Finnish farmer and politician who served in the Finnish Diet.
2. Kustaa Hakala (1860-1934), a Finnish writer and translator known for his works in the Karelian dialect.
3. Väinö Hakala (1879-1957), a Finnish linguist and professor who specialized in the study of Finno-Ugric languages.
4. Armas Hakala (1886-1968), a Finnish wrestler who competed in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games.
5. Pekka Hakala (1919-1994), a Finnish cross-country skier who won a silver medal at the 1948 Winter Olympics.

While the surname Hakala is most commonly associated with Finland, it has also been found in other Nordic countries and among Finnish diaspora communities around the world, reflecting the migration patterns of Finnish people over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hakala

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

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 Hakala 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 Hakala 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 Hakala was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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