2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hintsala
Finnish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Hintsala. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hintsala 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Hintsala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hintsala, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hintsala
The surname Hintsala is of Finnish origin, emerging in the Middle Ages when surnames first came into use in the region. It is believed to have originated from a locational name, referring to a specific village or area where the earliest bearers of the name resided.
One possible derivation of Hintsala is from the Finnish words "hinta" meaning "price" and "ala" meaning "area" or "region." This suggests that the name may have referred to a place associated with trade or commerce. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Finnish word "hintsa," meaning "tall" or "lanky," potentially describing the physical characteristics of the earliest bearers.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Hintsala can be traced back to the 15th century, appearing in local parish records and land registries. One notable example is Juhani Hintsala, born in 1492, who was a prominent farmer and landowner in the village of Karijoki.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the register of the Finnish Army, with Pekka Hintsala serving as a soldier during the Ingrian War against Sweden from 1610 to 1617.
During the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Juho Hintsala (1825-1891), a celebrated Finnish author and poet known for his contributions to Finnish literature and folklore. His works, including the collection "Kansan Lauluja" (Folk Songs), played a significant role in preserving and promoting Finnish cultural heritage.
Another notable figure was Anna Hintsala (1878-1956), a pioneering Finnish educator and women's rights activist. She founded several educational institutions and was a vocal advocate for women's suffrage and equal rights in Finland.
In the 20th century, Erkki Hintsala (1910-1983) gained recognition as a renowned Finnish architect, responsible for designing iconic buildings such as the Helsinki City Theatre and the Finnish National Opera House.
While the surname Hintsala has its roots in Finland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Finland, reflecting the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hintsala
Among Census respondents with the surname Hintsala, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hintsala 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 Hintsala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.2% · 6
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hintsala
Hintsala appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+15 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,067 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-16 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 4,067 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 15,981 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 Hintsala 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 | #129,047 | #145,028 | -12.4% |
| Count | 132 | 116 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hintsala bearers went from 132 to 116 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 15,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #145,028.
FAQ
Hintsala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hintsala?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Hintsala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Hintsala?
Hintsala ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Hintsala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Hintsala.
Has Hintsala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hintsala went from 132 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Hintsala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hintsala, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Hintsala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hintsala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Hintsala (2000, 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 Hintsala mean?
Finnish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from that location. 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 Hintsala (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 people share the surname Hintsala?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.