2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hietanen
A surname of Finnish origin meaning "sandy" or "sandy meadow".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 103 Americans carry the last name Hietanen. That puts it at #159,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,327,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hietanen 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.
Hietanen appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
103
1 in 3,327,712
Census rank
#159,712
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Hietanen in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 159712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hietanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hietanen
The surname Hietanen is of Finnish origin, derived from the Finnish word "hieta" meaning "fine sand" or "gravel." The name likely originated in Finland during the medieval period and was initially used as a descriptive surname for individuals who lived near sandy or gravelly areas.
The earliest known record of the surname Hietanen dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in parish records and tax rolls from various regions of Finland. The name was particularly prevalent in the western and southern parts of the country, where sandy soil and gravel deposits were more common.
One notable historical figure with the surname Hietanen was Pekka Hietanen (1568-1635), a Finnish farmer and landowner who lived in the province of Ostrobothnia. Records show that Pekka Hietanen owned a substantial amount of land and played a prominent role in the local community.
Another historical figure of note was Liisa Hietanen (1712-1788), a Finnish midwife who practiced in the city of Turku. Liisa Hietanen was renowned for her expertise in delivering babies and was highly respected in her community.
In the 19th century, the surname Hietanen was associated with several notable individuals, including Juho Hietanen (1825-1891), a Finnish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits of rural life. Juho Hietanen's works are displayed in several museums and galleries throughout Finland.
Another significant figure from this period was Kaarlo Hietanen (1857-1928), a Finnish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament and played a crucial role in the country's independence movement.
Lastly, Elsa Hietanen (1892-1975) was a Finnish-American author and poet who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. Her works, which focused on themes of immigration, identity, and cultural heritage, were widely acclaimed and helped to preserve the stories of Finnish immigrants in America.
While the surname Hietanen is relatively uncommon outside of Finland, it has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the country's geographical features and the lives of notable individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hietanen
Among Census respondents with the surname Hietanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Hietanen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Hietanen surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0%
- Unknown or suppressed1.0%
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hietanen
Hietanen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-13 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 23,875 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 23,875 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
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Hietanen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20002010
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,837 | #159,712 | -17.6% |
| Count | 114 | 101 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -25.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Hietanen bearers went from 114 to 101 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 23,875 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,837 to #159,712.
FAQ
Hietanen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hietanen?
Name Census estimates that about 103 living Americans carry the surname Hietanen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,327,712 residents.
How common is Hietanen?
Hietanen ranks #159,712 in the 2010 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 2010 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Hietanen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (103), 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 Hietanen.
Has Hietanen become more or less common over time?
Between 2000 and 2010, the surname Hietanen went from 114 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,837 to #159,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Hietanen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hietanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. These figures come from the 2010 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 Hietanen in the 2010 Census, accounting for 99.0%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hietanen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (99.0%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Hietanen appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Hietanen mean?
A surname of Finnish origin meaning "sandy" or "sandy meadow". 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 2010 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 Hietanen (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 Hietanen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.