2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wirtala
An unusual variation of the German surname Wirtala referring to an innkeeper or tavern owner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Wirtala. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wirtala 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Wirtala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirtala, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wirtala
Wirtala is a surname of Finnish origin, with its roots tracing back to the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia and Finland Proper. The name is believed to have originated in the early to mid-16th century, a period during which surnames began to be more formalized in Finnish regions. The earliest spelling variations included names like Virtala and Wierthala, which may have been phonetic interpretations by scribes of the time.
In terms of etymology, Wirtala is derived from the Finnish word "virta," meaning "stream" or "river," combined with the suffix "-la," which typically denotes a place or location. This combination suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a prominent waterway or a streamside community.
Historical records from the 17th century show the presence of the Wirtala family in church and tax records in Northern Ostrobothnia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is from a 1642 parish register in the town of Oulu, where a Johan Wirtala is documented as having been baptized. Johan Wirtala later became a notable figure in the community, engaging in local trade and farming until his death in 1690.
The name Wirtala also appears in various legal documents and land grants from the early 18th century. In 1723, Lars Wirtala was recorded as receiving a land grant in the rural parish of Haukipudas. Lars established a farmstead that remained in his family for several generations, signifying the establishment of the Wirtala name as a prominent family in the region.
During the 19th century, as Finland underwent significant social and economic changes, the Wirtala surname spread to other parts of the country. A distinguished individual from this period was Kaarlo Wirtala, born in 1837 in Kokkola, who became well-known as a schoolmaster and later contributed to local educational reforms. Kaarlo’s influence in the field of education made the Wirtala name synonymous with progress and learning in the community.
In the mid-20th century, Paavo Wirtala, born in 1902, gained recognition as an advocate for rural development and was involved in various agricultural cooperatives across Finland. His work in promoting sustainable farming practices and community organization helped modernize rural Finnish life, further etching the Wirtala name into the annals of regional history.
Another notable figure is Anna Wirtala, a poet born in 1921, whose works delve into themes of nature and Finnish identity. Her poetry, celebrated for its evocative imagery and profound connection to Finnish landscapes, has garnered critical acclaim and added a cultural dimension to the legacy of the Wirtala surname.
Throughout the centuries, the Wirtala name has evolved but has consistently been associated with figures who have contributed to Finnish society in meaningful ways. The lineage can be traced through various historical documents that highlight the significant roles played by individuals bearing this surname in their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wirtala
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirtala, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Wirtala 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 Wirtala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wirtala
Wirtala 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,915 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-9 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,915 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 10,316 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 Wirtala 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 | #134,712 | #145,028 | -7.7% |
| Count | 125 | 116 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wirtala bearers went from 125 to 116 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 10,316 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #145,028.
FAQ
Wirtala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wirtala?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Wirtala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Wirtala?
Wirtala ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Wirtala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Wirtala.
Has Wirtala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wirtala went from 125 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Wirtala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirtala, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Wirtala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wirtala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Wirtala (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 Wirtala mean?
An unusual variation of the German surname Wirtala referring to an innkeeper or tavern owner. 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 Wirtala (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 have the surname Wirtala?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.