2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sarvas
A surname derived from the Finnish word for 'deer' or 'elk'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Sarvas. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sarvas 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Sarvas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarvas, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sarvas
The surname "SARVAS" originates from Finland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Finnish word "sarvi," meaning "horn" or "antler," possibly indicating a connection to hunting or forestry professions among the name's earliest bearers.
The name's earliest known appearance can be traced to the parish records of Ilomantsi, a municipality in eastern Finland near the Russian border. In these records, dated around 1590, the name appears as "Sarvas," suggesting it was already an established surname in the region.
Interestingly, the name "SARVAS" also shares similarities with the Swedish word "hjort," which translates to "deer" or "stag." This linguistic connection may hint at the name's potential origins among the Swedish-speaking population that once inhabited parts of Finland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname "SARVAS" was Juho Sarvas, born in 1675 in Ilomantsi. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a church warden for several decades in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
Another notable bearer of the name was Matti Sarvas, born in 1810 in Joensuu, Finland. He was a skilled carpenter and builder, renowned for his intricate woodwork and the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region.
In the 19th century, the surname "SARVAS" gained further recognition with the birth of Juhani Sarvas (1836-1904), a prominent Finnish politician and statesman. He served as a member of the Finnish Diet (parliament) and played a crucial role in the country's struggle for autonomy from Russia during the late 19th century.
The name also has a literary connection through the Finnish author and playwright Väinö Sarvas (1880-1942), whose works explored themes of rural life and societal issues in Finland during the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Olavi Sarvas (1915-1988), a Finnish botanist and professor at the University of Helsinki. He made significant contributions to the study of plant ecology and conservation, particularly in the field of forest biodiversity.
While the surname "SARVAS" originated in Finland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the Finnish language and culture, reflecting the unique history and heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sarvas
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarvas, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sarvas 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 Sarvas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 92
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sarvas
Sarvas 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,216 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-10 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,502 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 13,216 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 7,502 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 Sarvas 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 | #147,253 | #154,755 | -5.1% |
| Count | 112 | 102 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sarvas bearers went from 112 to 102 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 7,502 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #154,755.
FAQ
Sarvas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sarvas?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Sarvas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Sarvas?
Sarvas ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Sarvas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sarvas.
Has Sarvas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sarvas went from 112 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Sarvas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sarvas, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Sarvas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sarvas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Sarvas (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 Sarvas mean?
A surname derived from the Finnish word for 'deer' or 'elk'. 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 Sarvas (0.03 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 surname Sarvas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.