Alatalo

Alatalo is a Finnish surname. It is most commonly encountered in Finland and among Finnish communities abroad, reflecting historical naming patterns in the region.

Origin and meaning: Alatalo is considered to be of Finnish origin and is generally viewed as a toponymic or descriptive surname. Like many Finnish family names, it likely arose from a place-name tradition that described a dwelling or geographic feature associated with a family, rather than from a personal occupation or lineage alone. The exact historical lineage can vary by family, and no single etymology applies to all bearers.

Geographic distribution: In Finland, Alatalo appears across the country but shows higher concentrations in certain rural areas where surnames with landscape or settlement associations are more common. Outside Finland, bearers typically descend from Finnish emigrants and may be found in Sweden, Canada, the United States, and other countries with Finnish diaspora communities.

Usage: As a standard Finnish surname, Alatalo is inherited through generations and can appear across various fields and professions. Like many surnames, its prominence in records has fluctuated with historical migrations, name standardization efforts, and demographic changes in Finland and among Finnish communities abroad.

See also: Finnish surnames; toponymic surnames in Finnish onomastics.