Explore the Family Name Salmela
The meaning of Salmela
Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, from salmi ‘strait’ (compare Salmi) + the locative ending -la. Established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century in western, southern, and northern Finland. Adopted also as an ornamental name during the name-changing campaigns, especially in the early 20th century, to replace Swedish surnames. Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Juha, Reino, Senja, Sulo, Veikko. Scandinavian Erik, Jalmer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Salmela in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Salmela has seen a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Salmela was ranked as the 49,366th most popular surname, whereas by 2010 it had risen slightly to become the 49,177th most popular. Similarly, the count of individuals bearing the surname increased by 7 percent over the same period, going from 400 to 428. However, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 of the population remained stable at 0.15.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #49,366 | #49,177 | 0.38% |
| Count | 400 | 428 | 7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Salmela
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the vast majority of the people named Salmela identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, accounting for 98 percent and 97.2 percent, respectively. There was a small decrease of 0.82 percent in this group over the decade. The data does not show any individuals with the surname Salmela identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. This indicates that the surname Salmela is predominantly associated with people of White ethnic identity.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98% | 97.2% | -0.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |