Explore the Family Name Mahala
The meaning of Mahala
1. Variant of Mahaley, a surname of German origin. 2. Finnish: habitational name from farm names beginning with Mahala-, from the dialect word mahala, in standard Finnish mahla ‘juice of a plant, birch sap’ (e.g. Mahalamäki, from mahala + mäki ‘hill’). The surname Mahala is no longer found in Finland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mahala in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Mahala has slightly decreased in rank between 2000 and 2010, dropping by 2.37% from 45,149 to 46,219. However, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased by 3.13%, rising from 447 to 461 during the same period. This suggests that while the surname became less common compared to others, the number of people with this surname actually grew. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased by 5.88%, indicating that the proportion of the total population with this surname declined.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #45,149 | #46,219 | -2.37% |
| Count | 447 | 461 | 3.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.16 | -5.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mahala
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the surname Mahala identified as White, accounting for 94.41% in 2000 and decreasing marginally to 94.36% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic represented 2.68% in 2000 but saw a significant decrease to 2.17% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races remained relatively stable, while there was no representation from the Asian/Pacific Islander community in either year. Notably, the Black community, which accounted for 1.12% in 2000, was not represented in 2010. Interestingly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identity emerged in 2010 with a 1.08% representation, absent in the previous census.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.41% | 94.36% | -0.05% |
| Hispanic | 2.68% | 2.17% | -19.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.08% | -3.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 1.08% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 1.12% | 0% | 0% |