2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pelkola
A surname deriving from Finnish words meaning "fear" and "field", referring to someone living near a fearful field or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Pelkola. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelkola 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Pelkola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelkola, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelkola
The surname Pelkola has its origins in Finland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Finnish word "pelko," which means "fear" or "dread," and the suffix "-la," which is often used to indicate a place or location. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific geographic region or settlement associated with some form of fear or apprehension.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pelkola can be found in a 17th-century parish register from the municipality of Lapinlahti, located in the Northern Savonia region of Finland. This register mentions a certain Paavali Pelkola, who was born in the year 1612.
Another notable figure bearing the Pelkola surname was Juho Pelkola, a Finnish soldier who fought in the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809. Juho Pelkola was born in 1785 and served in the Finnish troops under the command of the Swedish king, Gustav IV Adolf.
The name Pelkola can also be traced to the village of Pelkola, located in the municipality of Puolanka, in the Kainuu region of Finland. This village may have played a role in the origin and subsequent spread of the surname throughout the country.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual named Antti Pelkola was recorded as a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the district of Oulu from 1863 to 1867. Antti Pelkola was born in 1812 and played a significant role in the political landscape of Finland during that era.
Another notable figure with the Pelkola surname was Maija Pelkola, a Finnish author and poet who lived from 1870 to 1945. Maija Pelkola's literary works contributed to the preservation and promotion of Finnish culture and literature during a time of significant societal changes.
Throughout its history, the surname Pelkola has been associated with various professions, including farming, military service, politics, and literature, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name to the cultural and societal fabric of Finland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelkola
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelkola, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelkola 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 Pelkola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelkola
Pelkola 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,830 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,830 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 9,308 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 Pelkola 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 | #136,449 | #145,757 | -6.8% |
| Count | 123 | 115 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelkola bearers went from 123 to 115 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 9,308 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #145,757.
FAQ
Pelkola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelkola?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Pelkola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Pelkola?
Pelkola ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Pelkola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Pelkola.
Has Pelkola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelkola went from 123 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelkola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelkola, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Pelkola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelkola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Pelkola (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 Pelkola mean?
A surname deriving from Finnish words meaning "fear" and "field", referring to someone living near a fearful field or meadow. 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 Pelkola (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 share the surname Pelkola?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.