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Rantala Family History

Rantala Name Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Rintala, Kantola, Rajala, Ranta, Mantyla, Hautala, Mattila, Annala

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rantala family from?

You can see how Rantala families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rantala family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Rantala families were found in USA in 1920. In 1920 there were 18 Rantala families living in Michigan. This was about 24% of all the recorded Rantala's in USA. Michigan and 1 other state had the highest population of Rantala families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rantala surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Rantala ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Rantala. 31% of Rantala men worked as a Laborer and 48% of Rantala women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rantala were Farm Laborer and Servant. .

View Census Data for Rantala | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    31%
  • Farmer
    25%
  • Carpenter
    12%
  • Farm Laborer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    48%
  • Waitress
    20%
  • Housework
    15%
  • Servant
    10%
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What Rantala family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Rantala. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rantala census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rantala

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Rantala. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rantala immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 245 military records available for the last name Rantala. For the veterans among your Rantala ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rantala military records

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What is the average Rantala lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Rantala life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Rantala in 1953 was 49, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rantala

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