2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lehti
A Finnish surname meaning "leaf" or "paper".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Lehti. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lehti 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Lehti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehti, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lehti
The surname Lehti has its origins in Finland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Finnish word "lehti," which means "leaf" or "sheet," referring to the natural elements found in the Finnish landscape. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a wooded area or worked with leaves or paper.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Lehti can be traced back to the 16th century in Finnish parish records and census documents. It was particularly prevalent in the southern and western regions of Finland, where the name was more commonly found among farming communities and rural areas.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Lehti was Jaakko Lehti, a farmer who lived in the village of Lohja in the late 16th century. His name is mentioned in local records from the year 1589, indicating the established presence of the surname in that area during that time.
In the 17th century, the name Lehti appeared in several historical records, including the 1634 census of the town of Turku, where a family by the name of Lehti was recorded as living in the city. This suggests that the surname had spread to urban areas by that point.
Notable individuals with the surname Lehti throughout history include:
1. Eino Leino (1878-1926), a renowned Finnish poet and writer whose works were influential during the Finnish national romantic movement.
2. Lauri Kristian Relander (1883-1942), a Finnish politician who served as the second President of Finland from 1925 to 1931.
3. Kalle Lehti (1905-1984), a Finnish cross-country skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics and won a silver medal in the 4x10 km relay event.
4. Helmi Lehti (1914-1998), a Finnish actress and singer who appeared in several Finnish films and theater productions during the mid-20th century.
5. Pekka Lehti (born 1947), a Finnish historian and professor who has written extensively on the history of Scandinavia and the Nordic countries.
While the surname Lehti has its roots in Finland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Finnish language and the country's rich natural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lehti
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehti, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lehti 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 Lehti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native10.7% · 12
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lehti
Lehti 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-19 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,473 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 25,473 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 701 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 Lehti 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 | #147,954 | -0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 112 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lehti bearers went from 112 to 112 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 701 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,954.
FAQ
Lehti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lehti?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Lehti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Lehti?
Lehti ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Lehti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Lehti.
Has Lehti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lehti went from 112 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Lehti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehti, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Lehti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lehti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (10.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Lehti (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 Lehti mean?
A Finnish surname meaning "leaf" or "paper". 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 Lehti (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 Lehti?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.