2000
#65,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Pakkala
An Indian surname referring to residential origin from Pakkala village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 365 Americans carry the last name Pakkala. That puts it at #67,004 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 939,053 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pakkala 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
365
1 in 939,053
Census rank
#67,004
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
318
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 318 bearers of the surname Pakkala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67004th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pakkala, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pakkala
The surname PAKKALA originated in Finland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Finnish word "pakkala," which refers to a small village or settlement. The name likely originated in a specific area or region where such a settlement existed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PAKKALA can be found in the Finnish parish records dating back to the 16th century. These records were maintained by the Lutheran Church and serve as valuable sources for tracing the history of Finnish surnames.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the surname PAKKALA was Johan Pakkala, a prominent Finnish merchant and landowner born in 1752. He played a significant role in the local economy and was influential in his community.
During the 19th century, the PAKKALA surname gained further recognition with the birth of Juho Pakkala in 1825. He was a respected scholar and linguist who contributed to the preservation and study of the Finnish language and its dialects.
Another notable individual with the surname PAKKALA was Kaarlo Pakkala, born in 1878. He was a distinguished architect who designed several iconic buildings in Helsinki, including the Finnish National Theatre and the Helsinki Central Railway Station.
In the early 20th century, the name PAKKALA was carried by Elsa Pakkala, a pioneering Finnish feminist and politician. Born in 1891, she fought for women's rights and was one of the first female members of the Finnish parliament.
The surname PAKKALA has its roots in the rural settlements of Finland and has maintained a presence throughout the country's history. While not a widespread name globally, it remains a distinct part of Finland's cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pakkala
Among Census respondents with the surname Pakkala, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pakkala 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 Pakkala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 260
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.4% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 22
- Two or more races0.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pakkala
Pakkala 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
#63,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 312
+30 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 1,795 places
2020
#67,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 318
+6 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,668 | 282 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,873 | 312 | 0.11 | +30 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 1,795 places |
| 2020 | #67,004 | 318 | 0.11 | +6 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 3,131 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 Pakkala 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 | #63,873 | #67,004 | -4.9% |
| Count | 312 | 318 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pakkala bearers went from 312 to 318 (+1.9% change). The surname moved down 3,131 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,873 to #67,004.
FAQ
Pakkala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pakkala?
Name Census estimates that about 365 living Americans carry the surname Pakkala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 939,053 residents.
How common is Pakkala?
Pakkala ranks #67,004 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 318 people with the surname Pakkala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (365), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Pakkala.
Has Pakkala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pakkala went from 312 recorded bearers to 318. That is an increase of 6 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #63,873 to #67,004.
What does the Census say about the background of Pakkala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pakkala, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Pakkala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (260 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pakkala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.4%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Pakkala (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 Pakkala mean?
An Indian surname referring to residential origin from Pakkala village. 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 Pakkala (0.11 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 are called Pakkala?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Pakkala, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.