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

Niskanen, 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 Niskanen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niskanen in America

Niskanen is the 44872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niskanen surname appeared 478 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 Niskanen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niskanen 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 Niskanen

The surname Niskanen originates from Finland, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "niska," which means "nape of the neck," and likely referred to a physical characteristic or occupation of the original bearer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the parish records of Kuortane, a municipality in the province of Western Finland, where a man named Nisku Nikonpoika was mentioned in 1564. This variation of the spelling suggests that the name may have evolved from a patronymic form.

In the 17th century, the Niskanen name appears in various Finnish regions, including Ostrobothnia and Savonia. During this period, several place names containing the word "niska" emerged, such as Niskankallio (Nape Rock) and Niskavuori (Nape Hill), indicating a possible connection between the surname and geographical features.

Notable individuals with the Niskanen surname include Eino Niskanen (1892-1950), a Finnish cross-country skier who won two gold medals at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. Another prominent figure was Juho Niskanen (1862-1924), a Finnish writer and journalist known for his works depicting rural life in Finland.

In the 19th century, the Niskanen name gained recognition through the achievements of Matti Niskanen (1808-1857), a Finnish peasant and lay preacher who played a significant role in the religious revival movement in Finland known as the "Awakening."

The Niskanen surname also has historical ties to Sweden, where it is spelled as Niskannen. One notable bearer was Stellan Niskannen (1833-1901), a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag, the national legislature of Sweden.

Other notable individuals with the Niskanen surname include Väinö Niskanen (1891-1957), a Finnish economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Finland from 1926 to 1927, and Jaakko Niskanen (1904-1968), a Finnish linguist and scholar renowned for his work on the Finno-Ugric languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niskanen

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

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

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

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