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

Valo, 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 Valo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valo in America

Valo is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valo surname appeared 176 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Valo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valo 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 Valo

The surname Valo originated in Finland, likely emerging in the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "valo," which means "light." This suggests the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname, possibly referring to someone with a bright or radiant appearance or personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Valo surname is found in the parish records of Kirkkonummi, a municipality in southern Finland, dating back to the late 17th century. The name is also found in various Finnish census records and church documents from the 18th and 19th centuries.

While the Valo surname is primarily concentrated in Finland, it has also been historically present in other Nordic countries, particularly Sweden and Norway, likely due to migration and cultural exchange between these neighboring regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Valo include:

1. Aarre Valo (1900-1973), a Finnish journalist and author known for his works on Finnish history and culture.
2. Ville Valo (born 1976), a Finnish singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band HIM.
3. Kaarina Valo (1902-1984), a Finnish actress and dancer who appeared in several Finnish films during the 1930s and 1940s.
4. Toivo Valo (1905-1988), a Finnish athlete who competed in the triple jump event at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
5. Eino Valo (1911-1995), a Finnish businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Valo Group, a successful construction and real estate company based in Helsinki.

While the Valo surname is relatively uncommon outside of Finland and the Nordic countries, it has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the linguistic heritage and traditions of the Finnish people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valo

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

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

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

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