2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bikel
A Germanic surname potentially derived from the name "Bickel" meaning "pickaxe" or "small axe."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 167 Americans carry the last name Bikel. That puts it at #123,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,052,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bikel 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
167
1 in 2,052,421
Census rank
#123,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
146
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 146 bearers of the surname Bikel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bikel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bikel
The surname BIKEL has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Bickel," which referred to a small pick or hammer used by miners or stonemasons. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in these trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BIKEL surname can be found in the town of Aachen, located in the western part of Germany. In the year 1542, a man named Hans Bickel was listed as a resident of the town in a local census record. It is likely that this was an early variation of the spelling, as surnames were often subject to changes in spelling and pronunciation over time.
The BIKEL name also appears in various historical documents from the region, including church records and municipal archives. For example, in the year 1612, a man named Jakob Bikel is mentioned in the baptismal records of a church in the town of Wuppertal.
As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, different spellings and variations emerged. Some of these include Bickel, Bickell, and Bickle. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the BIKEL surname include:
1. Johann Bikel (1572-1638), a German theologian and author from the town of Erfurt.
2. Hans Bikel (1620-1692), a master stonemason from Nuremberg who was known for his work on several notable buildings in the city.
3. Anna Maria Bikel (1674-1741), a German artist and painter from Frankfurt, known for her portraits and religious works.
4. Johann Georg Bikel (1723-1784), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg.
5. Friedrich Bikel (1867-1932), a German novelist and playwright from Berlin, whose works often explored themes of social injustice and poverty.
While the BIKEL surname may not have been as widespread as some other German names, its history can be traced back to the 16th century and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, clergy, artists, and writers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bikel
Among Census respondents with the surname Bikel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bikel 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 Bikel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bikel
Bikel 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,235 places
2020
#123,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+33 bearers (+29.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 22,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 4,235 places |
| 2020 | #123,817 | 146 | 0.05 | +33 bearers (+29.2%) | Up 22,384 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 Bikel 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 | #146,201 | #123,817 | 15.3% |
| Count | 113 | 146 | 29.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 22.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bikel bearers went from 113 to 146 (+29.2% change). The surname moved up 22,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #123,817.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bikel
FAQ
Bikel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bikel?
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the surname Bikel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,052,421 residents.
How common is Bikel?
Bikel ranks #123,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 146 people with the surname Bikel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (167), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Bikel.
Has Bikel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bikel went from 113 recorded bearers to 146. That is an increase of 33 (+29.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #123,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Bikel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bikel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%). 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 Bikel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (131 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bikel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%). 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 Bikel (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 Bikel mean?
A Germanic surname potentially derived from the name "Bickel" meaning "pickaxe" or "small axe." 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 Bikel (0.05 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 Bikel?
You can see how many people have the last name Bikel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.