Explore the Family Name Koskela
The meaning of Koskela
Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, from koski ‘rapids’ + the locative suffix -la. Adopted also as an ornamental name in the name-changing campaigns of the early 20th century, mainly to replace Swedish surnames, some of them, such as Forsström (see Forsstrom) and Grönfors, containing the word fors ‘rapids, waterfall’. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Nels. Finnish Eino, Juha, Vaino, Waino.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Koskela in the United States?
The surname Koskela has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the past decade, according to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the surname ranked at 30,645 but dropped to 31,873 by 2010, reflecting a decrease of 4.01%. Despite the drop in rank, the total count of individuals with the surname Koskela saw a marginal increase from 718 in 2000 to 724 in 2010, equating to a growth rate of 0.84%. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of 7.41% between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,645 | #31,873 | -4.01% |
| Count | 718 | 724 | 0.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.27 | 0.25 | -7.41% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Koskela
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Koskela, the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals identify as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 95.13% in 2000 to 94.20% in 2010. There was no recorded Asian/Pacific Islander or Black ethnicity associated with the surname during both these years. The percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic showed an increase of 56.89%, moving from 1.67% in 2000 to 2.62% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races remained relatively stable with a minor decrease of 0.60%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a decrease of 20.86% during the same time period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.13% | 94.2% | -0.98% |
| Hispanic | 1.67% | 2.62% | 56.89% |
| Two or More Races | 1.67% | 1.66% | -0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.39% | 1.1% | -20.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |