Nevala last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Nevala

A Finnish surname believed to have derived from a Finnish word meaning "snow-covered meadow".

Nevala, 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 Nevala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nevala in America

Nevala is the 50362nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nevala surname appeared 415 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 Nevala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nevala 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 50362 46426 8.13%
Count 415 432 -4.01%
Proportion per 100k 0.14 0.16 -13.33%

The history of the last name Nevala

The surname Nevala has its origins in Finland, with the earliest recorded examples appearing in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Finnish word "nevalampi," which means "marshy lake." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a particular geographical location or area characterized by marshy lakes or wetlands.

The Finnish language has its roots in the Finno-Ugric language family, which also includes Estonian and Hungarian. As such, the name Nevala likely has a connection to this linguistic heritage and the cultural traditions of the Finnish people.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nevala can be found in a Finnish parish register from the year 1598, where a person with the name Nevala is mentioned. This provides a glimpse into the historical use of the name and its longevity as a Finnish surname.

While the surname Nevala may not have been extensively documented in major historical records or manuscripts, it has been carried by several notable individuals throughout Finnish history. One such individual was Juho Nevala (1898-1967), a Finnish politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament and played a significant role in labor movements during the early 20th century.

Another notable figure was Aili Nevala (1904-1999), a Finnish actress and opera singer who had a prolific career spanning several decades. She performed in numerous operas and was recognized for her contributions to the Finnish arts and culture.

In more recent times, Tuomas Nevala (born 1983) has gained recognition as a Finnish ice hockey player, representing Finland in various international competitions and playing for several professional teams in the Finnish Liiga league.

It is also worth mentioning Antti Nevala (born 1966), a Finnish physicist and professor known for his research in the field of materials science and nanotechnology at the University of Helsinki.

Lastly, Kari Nevala (born 1956) is a Finnish author and journalist who has written several novels and non-fiction works, including biographies and books on Finnish history and culture.

While the surname Nevala is not among the most common Finnish surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, reflecting the diversity of the Finnish cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nevala

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

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 Nevala was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.63% 401
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.20% 5
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Nevala has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.63% 97.92% -1.33%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.20% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Nevala last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/nevala-surname-popularity/.

"Nevala last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/nevala-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Nevala last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/nevala-surname-popularity/.

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