Explore the Family Name Heinonen

The meaning of Heinonen

Finnish: cognate of Heino, with the addition of the surname suffix -nen. Adopted mostly as an ornamental name (based on the word heinä ‘hay’) in the 19th century in western Finland (compare Virtanen). In eastern Finland, however, the surname (based on the personal name Heino) is documented since the 16th century. In the US, the surname Heinonen has sometimes been shortened to Heino. Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Erkki, Eero, Hannu, Juha, Kauko, Pasi, Waino. Scandinavian Erik, Evald, Olle, Viljo.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Heinonen in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Heinonen saw a rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Heinonen ranked as the 37,319th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had climbed to the rank of 34,149th, representing an 8.49% increase. The actual count of individuals carrying the Heinonen surname likewise experienced growth from 562 in 2000 to 665 in 2010, marking an 18.33% jump. Consequently, the proportion of Heinonens per 100,000 people also saw a slight uptick from 0.21 to 0.23 during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#37,319#34,1498.49%
Count56266518.33%
Proportion per 100k0.210.239.52%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Heinonen

The ethnic identity associated with the Heinonen surname primarily identifies as white, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In the year 2000, 94.84% of Heinonens identified as white, although that percentage slightly decreased to 92.48% by 2010. During the same period, there was an emergence of Heinonens identifying with two or more races, which was not previously recorded in 2000 but made up 1.95% in 2010. Furthermore, a small fraction (0.75%) began identifying as Hispanic in 2010. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased from 3.56% in 2000 to 4.51% in 2010, reflecting a 26.69% increase. The data for Asian/Pacific Islander and Black remained constant at 0% for both years.

20002010Change
White94.84%92.48%-2.49%
American Indian and Alaskan Native3.56%4.51%26.69%
Two or More Races0%1.95%0%
Hispanic0%0.75%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%