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

Jokela, 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 Jokela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jokela in America

Jokela is the 54178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jokela surname appeared 381 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 Jokela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jokela 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 Jokela

The surname Jokela has its origins in Finland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Finnish word "joki," meaning river, and "la," a suffix denoting a place or location. Thus, Jokela likely referred to a settlement or area near a river.

In the earliest records, the name appears as "Jokela" or variations like "Jokeln" and "Jokelin." It is believed to have originated in the western or southwestern regions of Finland, where many rivers and waterways were found. The name may have been initially used to identify individuals living near these bodies of water.

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Jokela can be found in the Finnish church records from the 16th century. In these records, individuals with the name Jokela are mentioned, though specific details about their lives or occupations are scarce.

Over the centuries, the Jokela surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Antti Jokela (1867-1932), a Finnish politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1907 to 1919.

Another notable bearer of the name was Martta Jokela (1901-1995), a Finnish artist and painter known for her landscape and still-life works. Her paintings captured the beauty of the Finnish countryside and are featured in several art museums across the country.

In the literary world, Erkki Jokela (1917-1997) was a renowned Finnish author and playwright. His works often explored themes of rural life and the challenges faced by ordinary people in Finland. He received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Finnish State Award for Literature in 1975.

Moving to more recent times, Juha Jokela (born 1964) is a Finnish businessman and entrepreneur. He co-founded the successful software company Remedy Entertainment, known for developing popular video games like "Max Payne" and "Control."

Lastly, Jari Jokela (born 1967) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams like the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders during the 1990s.

While the surname Jokela is deeply rooted in Finnish history and culture, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and connection to the Finnish language and landscape remain strong, reflecting the rich heritage of this Nordic nation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jokela

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

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

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

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