2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aniel
A surname derived from the French place name Aniel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Aniel. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aniel 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Aniel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aniel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (37.4%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aniel
The surname Aniel is believed to have originated in France, likely during the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "aniel," which means "ring" or "circle." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a circular structure or settlement, or perhaps to someone who worked as a metalsmith or jeweler, crafting rings or other circular objects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th-century French manuscript, the "Cartulaire de Saint-Victor de Marseille," where a certain Guillelmus Aniel is mentioned. This suggests that the name was present in the region of Marseille during that time period.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Rouen, in the form of "Aniel." This could indicate that the name had spread to this region of northern France by that point.
One notable figure bearing the surname Aniel was Jean Aniel, a French painter who lived in the 16th century (c. 1540-1604). He is known for his religious works and portraits, some of which can still be found in churches and museums in France.
Another individual of note was Nicolas Aniel, a 17th-century French architect (c. 1630-1689) who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the Hôtel des Invalides.
In the 18th century, there was a French politician and lawyer named Pierre-François Aniel (1718-1795), who served as a deputy in the Estates-General during the early years of the French Revolution.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Jacques-François Aniel (1789-1867), a French botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in his home region of Normandy.
Finally, one of the more recent notable individuals with the surname Aniel was Marcel Aniel (1901-1983), a French writer and journalist who was active during the mid-20th century and wrote extensively on cultural and literary topics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aniel
Among Census respondents with the surname Aniel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (37.4%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Aniel 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 Aniel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.2% · 60
- White37.4% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aniel
Aniel 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,613 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+13 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,675 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 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 15,613 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 12,675 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 Aniel 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 | #158,432 | #145,757 | 8.0% |
| Count | 102 | 115 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aniel bearers went from 102 to 115 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 12,675 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,757.
FAQ
Aniel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aniel?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Aniel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Aniel?
Aniel ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Aniel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Aniel.
Has Aniel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aniel went from 102 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 13 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Aniel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aniel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (37.4%) and Hispanic (7.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aniel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aniel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.2%), White (37.4%), Hispanic (7.8%). 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 Aniel (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 Aniel mean?
A surname derived from the French place name Aniel. 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 Aniel (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 are called Aniel?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Aniel is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.