2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Partanen
Finnish surname derived from the name of a rural farm or estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Partanen. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Partanen 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Partanen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Partanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Partanen
The surname Partanen originates from Finland, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "parta," which means "beard," likely indicating that the earliest bearers of this name were distinguished by their facial hair.
During the Middle Ages, Finnish surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or locations. Partanen was likely one of the earliest surnames adopted in the region, as the practice of using hereditary surnames became more widespread among the Finnish population.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Partanen surname can be found in the parish records of Hämeenlinna, a town in southern Finland, dating back to the late 16th century. The name is also mentioned in various historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, including tax records and military rolls.
In the early 19th century, a notable figure bearing the Partanen surname was Juho Partanen (1776-1845), a Finnish farmer and local leader who played a significant role in the Finnish War of 1808-1809 against Russia. His descendants continued to carry the name, contributing to its broader dissemination throughout Finland.
Another prominent individual with the Partanen surname was Eero Partanen (1888-1963), a Finnish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Helsinki, including the Olympic Stadium for the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Yrjö Partanen (1892-1960) was a Finnish politician and trade union leader who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament for several terms in the mid-20th century, representing the Social Democratic Party.
Aili Partanen (1911-1988) was a Finnish actress and singer who gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, starring in numerous Finnish films and stage productions. She was widely recognized for her talent and contribution to the Finnish entertainment industry.
Lastly, Matti Partanen (1926-2013) was a renowned Finnish artist and sculptor, known for his abstract and figurative works in various media, including bronze, stone, and wood. His sculptures can be found in public spaces and museums across Finland and internationally.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Partanen surname throughout history, contributing to its legacy and significance in Finnish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Partanen
Among Census respondents with the surname Partanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Partanen 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 Partanen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Partanen
Partanen 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+2 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,513 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-19 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 6,513 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 18,174 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 Partanen 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 | #129,047 | #147,221 | -14.1% |
| Count | 132 | 113 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Partanen bearers went from 132 to 113 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 18,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #147,221.
FAQ
Partanen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Partanen?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Partanen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Partanen?
Partanen ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Partanen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Partanen.
Has Partanen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Partanen went from 132 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Partanen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Partanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Partanen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Partanen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Partanen (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 Partanen mean?
Finnish surname derived from the name of a rural farm or estate. 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 Partanen (0.04 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 have the last name Partanen?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Partanen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.