Explore the Family Name Karjala
The meaning of Karjala
Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, mostly containing the root of the ethnonym or the old Savonian surname Karjalainen ‘Karelian, Orthodox’, referring to Karjala, the Finnish name for Karelia, a historical province of Finland, now divided between Finland and Russia. In some cases the farm name Karjala is composed of karja ‘cattle’, which is sometimes a shortening from a nearby placename beginning with Karja- (e.g. Karjalahti ‘cattle bay’ or Karjaniemi ‘cattle cape’), + the locative suffix -la. Established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century in western Finland, chiefly in Ostrobothnia. Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Eino, Urho, Waino, Wilho.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Karjala in the United States?
According to the data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Karjala has witnessed a slight dip in popularity ranking from 61855 in 2000 to 62714 in 2010, marking a change of -1.39%. However, the count of people bearing this surname has seen an increase from 303 to 319 during the same period, indicating a growth rate of 5.28%. The proportion per 100k people remained constant at 0.11.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #61,855 | #62,714 | -1.39% |
| Count | 303 | 319 | 5.28% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Karjala
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Karjala showed significant changes between 2000 and 2010, based on the information from the Decennial U.S. Census. There has been a noticeable rise in those identifying as Hispanic and those claiming two or more races, with increases of 26.77% and 22.08% respectively. The percentage of individuals identifying as White dropped by 6.36%, from 93.40% to 87.46%. A new addition to the ethnic identity roster was observed in 2010, with 4.08% of Karjalas identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander. The census data did not record any individuals identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native for either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.4% | 87.46% | -6.36% |
| Hispanic | 3.96% | 5.02% | 26.77% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 4.08% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 2.31% | 2.82% | 22.08% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |