Explore the Family Name Rantala
The meaning of Rantala
Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, from ranta ‘shore’ (compare Ranta) + the locative suffix -la, established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century. Also adopted as an ornamental name during the name-changing campaigns of the early 20th century, mainly to replace Swedish surnames, especially those containing the word strand ‘shore’. Found chiefly in southern and western Finland. Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Arvo, Seppo, Toivo, Wilho, Jaakko, Jorma, Martti, Olli, Pentti, Rauno, Reijo, Tauno.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rantala in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rantala saw a slight decrease in rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from rank 50,055 to 51,066, a change of -2.02%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people carrying the Rantala surname increased by 3.82% during this time period, from 393 to 408. The proportion of people with the Rantala surname per 100k also decreased slightly from 0.15 to 0.14, marking a change of -6.67%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #50,055 | #51,066 | -2.02% |
| Count | 393 | 408 | 3.82% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.14 | -6.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rantala
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the Rantala surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010. However, there was a small decrease in this group over the decade, from 97.46% to 95.83%. Interestingly, the percentage of Rantalas identifying as Black went from 0% in 2000 to 1.23% in 2010. Those identifying with two or more races also saw an increase from 1.78% to 2.21% during this time period. There were no reported changes for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.46% | 95.83% | -1.67% |
| Two or More Races | 1.78% | 2.21% | 24.16% |
| Black | 0% | 1.23% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |