Ardell last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ardell

A surname derived from a place name or location containing the element "ard", meaning high or elevated.

Ardell, 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 Ardell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ardell in America

Ardell is the 74826th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ardell surname appeared 258 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 Ardell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ardell 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 74826 68973 8.14%
Count 258 266 -3.05%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.10 -10.53%

The history of the last name Ardell

The surname Ardell has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ard" meaning hill or high ground, and "dell" meaning a small valley or hollow. Together, these words suggest that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a small valley or hollow near a hill or high ground.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of homages sworn to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. Here, the name appears as "Ardel". Other early spellings include "Ardill", "Ardyll", and "Arddell".

In the 14th century, the name is found in the records of the Diocese of Glasgow, where a John Ardell is mentioned as a landowner in Renfrewshire. This suggests that the name had spread from the Scottish Borders to other parts of Scotland by this time.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert Ardell, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in several charters and legal documents from the reign of King James III of Scotland (1460-1488).

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Scottish Reformation, with a James Ardell listed as a supporter of the Protestant cause. This suggests that the family may have been involved in the religious upheavals of the time.

During the 17th century, the name is found in the records of the Scottish Parliament, with a William Ardell serving as a member for the burgh of Forfar in 1646.

Notable bearers of the surname include:

  1. Sir John Ardell (1620-1680), a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War and was knighted for his service to the Crown.

  2. Robert Ardell (1725-1804), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Old College of the University of Edinburgh.

  3. James Ardell (1798-1872), a Scottish painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.

  4. William Ardell (1840-1920), a Scottish poet and author who wrote extensively about life in the Scottish Highlands.

  5. Mary Ardell (1876-1958), a Scottish suffragette and campaigner for women's rights.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ardell

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

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 Ardell was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.64% 239
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.33% 6
Hispanic Origin 2.33% 6

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 Ardell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.64% 94.36% -1.84%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 3.38% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 2.33% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 2.33% (S)% (S)%

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 Ardell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ardell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 22, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ardell-surname-popularity/.

"Ardell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ardell-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 May, 2025

Ardell last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ardell-surname-popularity/.

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