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

Armel, 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 Armel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Armel in America

Armel is the 36525th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Armel surname appeared 612 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 Armel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Armel 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 Armel

The surname Armel originates from the Celtic regions of Brittany, France, and can be traced back to the 6th century. It is derived from the Old Breton words "armel" or "arzhel," which mean "a bear" or "a bear's servant." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a bear handler or had some association with these animals.

In medieval times, the name Armel was commonly found in various records and manuscripts from Brittany. One notable mention is in the Cartulary of Redon Abbey, a collection of charters and deeds dating back to the 9th century, where several individuals with the surname Armel are listed as landowners or witnesses to transactions.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Armel can be found in the 12th century, when a nobleman named Alain Armel was mentioned in the chronicles of the Abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys in Brittany. Another early example is Yvon Armel, a merchant from the town of Quimper, who was recorded in the city's tax records in the early 13th century.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Armel. One of the most famous was Jean-Baptiste Armel (1619-1692), a French priest and writer who authored several religious texts and served as the chaplain to the Duke of Brittany. Another prominent figure was Yves Armel (1744-1817), a Breton sailor and explorer who accompanied Louis Antoine de Bougainville on his voyage around the world in the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, the name Armel gained recognition through the works of François-Marie Armel (1811-1890), a French poet and playwright who wrote extensively about the culture and traditions of Brittany. Another noteworthy individual was Marie-Thérèse Armel (1854-1932), a renowned educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools and educational institutions in Brittany.

The surname Armel can also be found in various place names and toponyms throughout Brittany, such as the village of Armel-sur-Mer and the Armel River, which likely derived their names from the historical presence of individuals or families bearing this surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Armel

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

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

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

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