2000
#110,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pellinen
A Finnish surname derived from a place name referring to arable land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Pellinen. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pellinen 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
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Pellinen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pellinen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pellinen
The surname Pellinen is of Finnish origin and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated in the western regions of Finland, particularly in the areas around Turku and Pori. The name is derived from the Finnish word "pelto," meaning "field" or "cultivated land," which suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely farmers or landowners.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pellinen surname can be found in the historical records of the town of Rauma, dating back to the late 16th century. In these records, a man named Mikko Pellinen is mentioned as a landowner and farmer in the year 1589. This provides evidence that the name was already well-established in the region during that time period.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name appeared in various church records and legal documents across western Finland. Notable individuals bearing the Pellinen surname during this time include Antti Pellinen (1642-1712), a prominent merchant and ship owner from the town of Uusikaupunki, and Liisa Pellinen (1705-1782), a respected midwife and healer from the village of Laitila.
As the Pellinen family spread across Finland, the name also took on various localized spellings and variations. For example, in some areas, it was spelled as "Pelline" or "Pellini," while in others, it was recorded as "Pellinen" or "Pellinnen." These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different parts of the country.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the Pellinen surname gained recognition in various fields. Juho Pellinen (1819-1892) was a notable educator and author from the town of Pori, who wrote several textbooks and educational works in Finnish. Jaakko Pellinen (1845-1921) was a prominent farmer and agricultural innovator from the village of Lappi, known for introducing new farming techniques and improving crop yields in the region.
Another notable figure was Ida Pellinen (1871-1949), a pioneering feminist and activist from Helsinki, who fought for women's rights and suffrage in Finland. She played a crucial role in the women's movement and was instrumental in securing the right to vote for Finnish women in 1906, making Finland one of the first countries to grant universal suffrage.
Throughout the 20th century, the Pellinen surname continued to be prevalent across Finland, with individuals from this family making contributions in various fields, including academia, arts, and sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pellinen
Among Census respondents with the surname Pellinen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pellinen 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 Pellinen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 5
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- Two or more races1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pellinen
Pellinen 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
#121,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
-6 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,067 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-14 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #110,523 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #121,590 | 142 | 0.05 | -6 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 11,067 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 14,492 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 Pellinen 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 | #121,590 | #136,082 | -11.9% |
| Count | 142 | 128 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pellinen bearers went from 142 to 128 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 14,492 positions in the national ranking, going from #121,590 to #136,082.
FAQ
Pellinen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pellinen?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Pellinen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Pellinen?
Pellinen ranks #136,082 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 128 people with the surname Pellinen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), 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 Pellinen.
Has Pellinen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pellinen went from 142 recorded bearers to 128. That is a decrease of 14 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #121,590 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Pellinen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pellinen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Pellinen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pellinen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Black (1.6%). 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 Pellinen (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 Pellinen mean?
A Finnish surname derived from a place name referring to arable land. 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 Pellinen (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 are called Pellinen?
Want to know how many people are called Pellinen? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.