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

Lahti, 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 Lahti surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lahti in America

Lahti is the 16525th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lahti surname appeared 1,738 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lahti.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lahti 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 Lahti

The surname Lahti originated in Finland, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Finnish word "lahti," which means a bay or a cove, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name resided near such geographical features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lahti can be found in the church records of the Turku Diocese in Finland, dating back to the late 16th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions around the city of Lahti, which was named after the nearby Porvoonjoki river bay.

In the 17th century, the name Lahti appeared in various historical documents, such as land ownership records and legal contracts. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Matti Lahti (1620-1687), a prominent farmer and landowner in the Häme region.

The 18th century saw the Lahti name spread beyond its traditional heartland, with several families migrating to other parts of Finland. One notable figure from this era was Jaakko Lahti (1745-1819), a respected merchant and civic leader in the town of Porvoo.

As Finland industrialized in the 19th century, the Lahti surname became associated with various professions and occupations. Johannes Lahti (1856-1932) was a renowned architect responsible for designing several prominent buildings in Helsinki, while Aino Lahti (1880-1958) was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.

In the 20th century, the Lahti name gained international recognition through the exploits of Simo Häyhä (1905-2002), a Finnish sniper known as the "White Death" for his remarkable marksmanship during the Winter War against the Soviet Union. Häyhä, whose mother's maiden name was Lahti, is widely regarded as one of the deadliest snipers in military history.

Another notable figure bearing the Lahti surname is Arvo Lahti (1892-1966), a Finnish arms designer who developed the renowned Lahti L-35 anti-tank rifle, which saw extensive use during World War II.

Throughout its history, the Lahti surname has maintained a strong connection to its Finnish roots and geographical origins, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of this Scandinavian nation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lahti

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

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

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

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