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

Salo, 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 Salo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salo in America

Salo is the 10871st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salo surname appeared 2,931 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Salo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salo 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 Salo

The surname Salo is believed to have originated in Finland, where it has been recorded since the 16th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "salo," which means a forest or wilderness area. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived in or near a forested region.

In Finland, the Salo surname is particularly common in the southwestern regions of the country, such as the provinces of Varsinais-Suomi and Satakunta. It is also found in other parts of Finland, as well as in neighboring countries like Sweden and Norway, where Finnish immigrants settled.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Salo surname can be found in the Finnish church records from the late 16th century. These records often documented births, marriages, and deaths within local parishes, providing valuable genealogical information.

Notable individuals with the surname Salo include Arvo Salo (1899-1975), a Finnish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland from 1957 to 1959. Another notable figure is Matti Salo (1954-2001), a Finnish ice hockey player who played for several teams in the Finnish SM-liiga and represented Finland in international competitions.

In the 19th century, a Finnish farmer and landowner named Juho Salo (1818-1890) gained recognition for his efforts in promoting agricultural education and modernizing farming practices in Finland. His contributions helped shape the development of Finnish agriculture during that time period.

The Salo surname is also associated with several place names in Finland. For example, the city of Salo, located in southwestern Finland, is believed to have derived its name from the Finnish word "salo" due to its proximity to forested areas.

Throughout history, variations of the Salo surname have emerged, such as Salonen, Salovaara, and Salminen, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes over time. These variations often share a common root or origin with the original Salo surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salo

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

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

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

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