2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ammel
A surname of German origin meaning "small river".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Ammel. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ammel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Ammel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ammel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ammel
The surname Ammel is believed to have originated in Germany, with records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Middle High German word "amel," which means "ant," or from the Old High German word "amil," which translates to "hard worker."
One of the earliest known references to the Ammel surname can be found in the historical records of the town of Hesse, Germany, where a family bearing this name was documented in the late 1500s. The name was also prevalent in other parts of central Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony.
In the 17th century, records show an individual named Hans Ammel, who was born in 1623 in the town of Heidelberg, Germany. He was a prominent merchant and trader during his time, and his descendants continued to carry the Ammel name in the region.
Another notable figure with the Ammel surname was Johann Ammel, a German composer and musician who lived from 1777 to 1842. He was known for his compositions for the church and his contributions to the development of sacred music in Germany during the early 19th century.
The Ammel name can also be found in several historical documents from other European countries, such as Switzerland and Austria, suggesting that individuals bearing this surname may have migrated or had connections with these regions as well.
In the late 19th century, a man named Friedrich Ammel, born in 1861 in the town of Kassel, Germany, gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after and are now considered valuable antiques.
Another prominent individual with the Ammel surname was Karl Ammel, a German philosopher and educator who lived from 1878 to 1956. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, and his works were widely studied in academic circles during his lifetime.
Over the centuries, the Ammel surname has been spelled in various ways, including Ammell, Amel, and Amelle, reflecting regional variations and linguistic adaptations. However, the core meaning and origins of the name have remained consistent, rooted in the German language and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ammel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ammel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ammel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ammel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ammel
Ammel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,225 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 13,225 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 8,823 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ammel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #147,221 | 5.7% |
| Count | 104 | 113 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ammel bearers went from 104 to 113 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 8,823 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,221.
FAQ
Ammel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ammel?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Ammel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Ammel?
Ammel ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Ammel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ammel.
Has Ammel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ammel went from 104 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Ammel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ammel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ammel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ammel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ammel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ammel mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "small river". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ammel (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ammel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.