Find out how popular the last name Ackels is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ackels.

Ackels, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ackels surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ackels in America

Ackels is the 81181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ackels surname appeared 233 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ackels.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ackels to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ackels

The surname Ackels is believed to have originated in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "akker," meaning "field" or "cultivated land." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a field or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ackels can be found in the town records of Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain Henning Ackels, who was a landowner and farmer in the area.

In the 16th century, the name Ackels appeared in various German chronicles and manuscripts, often in reference to families living in rural areas or involved in agricultural pursuits. For example, the Ackels family was mentioned in the annals of the town of Celle, Hanover, in the year 1567.

As the name spread across Germany and neighboring regions, various spelling variations emerged, such as Ackels, Ackels, Akels, and Ackels. These variations often reflected regional dialects and pronunciations.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Ackels was Johann Ackels (1592-1662), a Lutheran theologian and author from Lübeck, Germany. His works on religious topics were widely read and influential during the Protestant Reformation.

Another prominent individual with the Ackels surname was Friedrich Ackels (1765-1834), a German jurist and legal scholar from Hanover. He authored several treatises on civil law and was highly regarded in his field.

In the 19th century, the name Ackels can be found in records from various German states, including Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony. One notable example is Heinrich Ackels (1819-1888), a Prussian military officer and veteran of the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War.

As Germans emigrated to other parts of the world, the surname Ackels also spread to places like the United States, Canada, and Australia. For instance, in the late 19th century, a family named Ackels settled in the Midwest region of the United States, where they became farmers and landowners.

Another individual of note was Hans Ackels (1876-1949), a German-born American businessman and entrepreneur who founded a successful manufacturing company in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ackels

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ackels.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ackels was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ackels has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ackels was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ackels, please contact us.

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