Vonzel
A masculine variant of the German name Wenzeslaus or Wenceslaus, meaning "greater glory".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Vonzel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vonzel today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vonzel births was 1976 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vonzel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vonzel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1976
5 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1976 SSA rank
#6,476
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Vonzel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Vonzel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Vonzel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Vonzel
The name Vonzel is believed to have originated from the ancient Germanic language, with roots that can be traced back to the 5th century AD. The name is derived from the Old High German word "funs," meaning "eager" or "willing," and the suffix "-zal," which denotes a person or individual.
In the early medieval period, the name was commonly found in regions that are now part of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Historical records from the 8th and 9th centuries show variations of the name, such as "Funzilo" and "Funzalo," being used in these areas.
While there are no direct references to the name Vonzel in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some scholars have drawn connections between the name's meaning and the Germanic warrior culture of the time, where eagerness and willingness were highly valued traits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vonzel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the 9th century, which mentions a nobleman named Vonzel von Kempten.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vonzel. Vonzel of Brabant (1012-1079) was a Benedictine monk and scholar who made significant contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts. Vonzel Hausmann (1478-1539) was a German Renaissance painter known for his religious artwork and frescoes.
In the 16th century, Vonzel Fugger (1529-1592) was a prominent member of the wealthy Fugger family of merchants and bankers in Augsburg, Germany. Vonzel Maximilian von Zedlitz (1676-1737) was a Prussian statesman and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under King Frederick William I.
More recently, Vonzel Washington (1944-2016) was an American jazz drummer and percussionist who performed with several notable artists, including Dizzy Gillespie and McCoy Tyner.
While the name Vonzel may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and linguistic origins serve as a testament to the enduring cultural heritage of the Germanic regions.
People
Vonzel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vonzel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vonzel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vonzel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vonzel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Vonzel a common name?
We classify Vonzel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vonzel most popular?
The single biggest year for Vonzel was 1976, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vonzel is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Vonzel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vonzel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vonzel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Vonzel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vonzel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Vonzel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Vonzel as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.