Explore the Family Name Niemela
The meaning of Niemela
Finnish (Niemelä): habitational name from farms so named, from niemi ‘headland, spit’ (compare Niemi) + the locative suffix -lä. Established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century in western, southern, and northern Finland. Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Eino, Reino, Waino, Armas, Arto, Esko, Helvi, Raino, Veikko. Scandinavian Jarl, Lars, Nels.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Niemela in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Niemela has seen a slight decline in its popularity in the United States over the last decade. In 2000, Niemela ranked as the 28,460th most popular surname but fell to the 28,809th position in 2010, a decrease of 1.23%. However, the count of people with the Niemela surname increased by approximately 4.69% during the same period, growing from 789 in 2000 to 826 in 2010. The representation of this surname per 100,000 individuals slightly decreased by 3.45%, indicating a lower proportion of Niemelas in the overall U.S. population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,460 | #28,809 | -1.23% |
| Count | 789 | 826 | 4.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.29 | 0.28 | -3.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Niemela
The ethnicity distribution for the Niemela surname, also based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, indicates that the vast majority of Niemelas identify as White. This ethnic group accounted for 97.47% of all Niemelas in 2000 and 96.37% in 2010, marking a slight decline of 1.13%. Over the same period, there was a rise in those identifying as two or more races, which grew by 12.95% from 1.39% to 1.57%. A small percentage of Niemelas identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, decreasing marginally from 0.63% in 2000 to 0.61% in 2010. Notably, no Niemelas identified as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010, 1.21% identified as Hispanic. The data for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native were suppressed (S) in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.47% | 96.37% | -1.13% |
| Two or More Races | 1.39% | 1.57% | 12.95% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.21% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.63% | 0.61% | -3.17% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |