2000
#4,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,903
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Bickel
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "bickel," meaning pickaxe or mattock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,419 Americans carry the last name Bickel. That puts it at #5,213 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,200 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bickel 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bickel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,200
Census rank
#5,213
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,470 bearers of the surname Bickel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5213th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bickel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bickel
The surname BICKEL is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "bickel" or "bickel," which means "small pickaxe" or "chisel." This occupational surname was initially assigned to individuals who worked as miners, stonemasons, or quarrymen, using pickaxes and chisels as their primary tools.
The name BICKEL can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southwestern regions such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The earliest recorded instances of the name are found in medieval documents and records, although specific references are scarce due to the inconsistent record-keeping practices of the time.
One notable early mention of the name BICKEL can be found in the "Weistümer" (legal records) of the town of Weinheim in Baden-Württemberg, dated around 1300. These records document individuals with the surname BICKEL, indicating their presence in the region during that period.
In the 15th century, the surname BICKEL is mentioned in the "Bürgeraufnahmen" (citizen records) of the city of Nuremberg, suggesting that individuals bearing this name had established themselves as citizens within the city's walls. This provides evidence of the name's spreading and establishment in various parts of Germany.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname BICKEL. One such example is Johann Bickel (1598-1672), a German theologian and author who served as the court preacher to the Elector Palatine in Heidelberg. Another prominent figure was Johann Jakob Bickel (1592-1635), a German mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of logarithmic tables.
In the realm of arts and literature, Johann Christoph Bickel (1716-1788) was a renowned German painter and engraver, known for his religious and mythological works. Johann Friedrich Bickel (1742-1812) was a German composer and music theorist who wrote several operas and instrumental works.
Crossing into the modern era, Karl Bickel (1886-1982) was a Swiss chemist and Nobel Prize laureate in 1952 for his work on the development of synthetic rubber and the polymerization of ethylene. His contributions played a pivotal role in the advancement of polymer chemistry.
While these examples highlight the historical presence and achievements of individuals bearing the surname BICKEL, it is important to note that the name's origins and significance are deeply rooted in the occupational traditions of Germany's past, reflecting the lives and trades of those who wielded pickaxes and chisels as their tools of the trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bickel
Among Census respondents with the surname Bickel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bickel 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 Bickel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 5,982
- Two or more races2.9% · 187
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 184
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 37
- Black or African American0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bickel
Bickel 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
#4,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,035
+132 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 295 places
2020
#5,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,470
-565 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Down 223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,695 | 6,903 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,990 | 7,035 | 2.38 | +132 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 295 places |
| 2020 | #5,213 | 6,470 | 2.16 | -565 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 223 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 Bickel 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 | #4,990 | #5,213 | -4.5% |
| Count | 7,035 | 6,470 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.38 | 2.16 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bickel bearers went from 7,035 to 6,470 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 223 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,990 to #5,213.
FAQ
Bickel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bickel?
Name Census estimates that about 7,419 living Americans carry the surname Bickel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,200 residents.
How common is Bickel?
Bickel ranks #5,213 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,470 people with the surname Bickel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,419), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bickel.
Has Bickel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bickel went from 7,035 recorded bearers to 6,470. That is a decrease of 565 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,990 to #5,213.
What does the Census say about the background of Bickel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bickel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bickel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (5,982 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bickel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Bickel (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 Bickel mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "bickel," meaning pickaxe or mattock. 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 Bickel (2.16 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 Americans have the surname Bickel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.