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

Niskala, 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 Niskala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niskala in America

Niskala is the 103655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niskala surname appeared 173 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 Niskala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niskala 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 Niskala

The surname Niskala is of Finnish origin, originating from the region of Ostrobothnia in western Finland. The name likely dates back to the 16th or 17th century, when surnames were becoming more commonplace among the general population.

Niskala is derived from the Finnish words "niska" meaning "neck" and "la" meaning "cove" or "inlet". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a geographical location, perhaps a neck of land or a cove near a body of water. It's possible that the name was initially given to someone who lived near such a feature.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Niskala can be found in parish records and census documents from the 17th and 18th centuries in the Ostrobothnia region. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Matti Niskala, born in 1672, and Liisa Niskala, born in 1701, both from the town of Närpiö.

In the 19th century, the name appears in various historical documents and records from across Finland. One notable individual was Johan Niskala (1819-1891), a farmer and local politician who served as a member of the Diet of Finland, the legislative assembly of the Grand Duchy of Finland at the time.

Another prominent figure with the surname Niskala was Juho Niskala (1859-1928), a Finnish architect known for designing several notable buildings in Helsinki, including the Kallio Church and the Kaartin Manege building.

During the 20th century, the name Niskala continued to be found across Finland, with individuals bearing the name working in various fields. One example is Eino Niskala (1904-1986), a Finnish artist and painter known for his landscape and nature paintings.

Additionally, the name Niskala has been associated with several place names in Finland, such as Niskala village in the municipality of Teuva and Niskalanlahti, a bay in the town of Laitila.

While the surname Niskala is not among the most common surnames in Finland, it has a long and rich history, rooted in the geographic and cultural traditions of the Ostrobothnia region. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, politicians, architects, and artists, contributing to the diverse tapestry of Finnish heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niskala

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!