2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Isotalo
An Estonian surname likely derived from "iso talo" meaning "big house" or "large farm".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Isotalo. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Isotalo 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Isotalo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Isotalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Isotalo
The surname Isotalo originated in Finland during the late 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Finnish words "iso" meaning "large" and "talo" meaning "house" or "farm". The name likely referred to someone who lived in a large house or owned a sizable farmstead.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Isotalo name appears in church records from the parish of Lapua in western Finland, dating back to 1687. The name is also found in historical documents from the nearby parishes of Isokyrö and Vähäkyrö during the same time period.
In the early 1800s, a man named Juho Isotalo (1791-1865) served as a church verger in the village of Lapua. His son, Matti Isotalo (1824-1902), was a prominent farmer and landowner in the same area.
During the Finnish Civil War of 1918, a soldier named Antti Isotalo (1892-1918) fought for the Red Guards and was killed in battle near the town of Kuopio.
The surname Isotalo is also associated with the village of Isotalo in the municipality of Jalasjärvi, located in western Finland. This place name likely predates the use of Isotalo as a surname.
One notable individual with the Isotalo surname was Kaarlo Isotalo (1901-1969), a Finnish poet and writer who published several collections of poetry and children's books.
Another individual of note was Eero Isotalo (1914-1985), a Finnish cross-country skier who competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
While the Isotalo name is relatively uncommon outside of Finland, it has been carried by individuals throughout the country's history, with its roots tracing back to the late 17th century and the Finnish language itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Isotalo
Among Census respondents with the surname Isotalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Isotalo 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 Isotalo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 105
- Two or more races7.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Isotalo
Isotalo 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 5,944 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 Isotalo 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 | #147,253 | #141,309 | 4.0% |
| Count | 112 | 121 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Isotalo bearers went from 112 to 121 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #141,309.
FAQ
Isotalo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Isotalo?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Isotalo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Isotalo?
Isotalo ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Isotalo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Isotalo.
Has Isotalo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Isotalo went from 112 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 9 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Isotalo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Isotalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Isotalo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Isotalo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Two or More Races (7.4%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Isotalo (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 Isotalo mean?
An Estonian surname likely derived from "iso talo" meaning "big house" or "large farm". 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 Isotalo (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 common is the surname Isotalo?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Isotalo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.