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

Omasta, 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 Omasta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Omasta in America

Omasta is the 87335th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Omasta surname appeared 213 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 Omasta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Omasta 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 Omasta

The surname Omasta originated in the northern regions of Finland during the 15th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "omasta", which translates to "one's own" or "personal". The name likely originated as a descriptor for someone who was fiercely independent or self-reliant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Omasta can be found in a 1487 tax record from the village of Kuhmo, which lists a farmer named Jaakko Omasta. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by that time.

In the 16th century, the name began to spread southward into the regions of Savo and North Karelia. Here, it evolved into various regional spellings such as Omastu, Omasto, and Omasten. These variations were often used interchangeably in historical documents from the period.

The first recorded individual of note bearing the name Omasta was Pekka Omasta (1543-1612), a prominent landowner and local official in the town of Joensuu. His son, Antti Omasta (1572-1641), was a respected Lutheran minister who helped establish several churches in the region.

In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with Jaakko Omasta (1711-1789), a skilled woodcarver whose intricate works adorned many churches and public buildings throughout eastern Finland. His grandson, Juho Omasta (1763-1842), was a renowned folk musician and composer of traditional Finnish melodies.

Another notable bearer of the name was Katri Omasta (1821-1899), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Kuopio. Her efforts helped pave the way for greater educational opportunities for women in Finland during the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Omasta has remained relatively uncommon outside of its traditional strongholds in eastern and northern Finland. However, it continues to hold significance as a symbol of the region's rich cultural heritage and the resilient, self-reliant spirit of its people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Omasta

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

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

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

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