2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Budell
A surname possibly derived from the French "boudel" meaning bundle or bundle maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Budell. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Budell 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Budell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Budell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Budell
The surname BUDELL is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bud" meaning a bud or sprout, and "hyll" meaning a hill, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hillock covered with vegetation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Budehyll". This entry suggests the name had already been established in parts of southern England by the late 11th century.
By the 13th century, variations of the spelling began to emerge, such as "Budhill", "Buddyll", and "Buddell". These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the evolution of the English language over time.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir William Budell, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century. He was recorded as being present at the famous Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another prominent individual with the surname was John Budell, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the late 15th century. Records show he was involved in the lucrative wool trade with continental Europe.
In the 16th century, the name appeared to be concentrated in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, with some families also residing in parts of Devon and Wiltshire. The surname Budell is also found in several parish records from this period, indicating its continued presence in rural communities.
One member of the Budell family who achieved some fame was Thomas Budell, a printer and publisher active in London during the early 17th century. He is credited with publishing several notable works, including a collection of sermons by the influential Puritan minister Richard Sibbes.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Budell, who was born in Somerset in 1687. She became a prominent Quaker minister and traveled extensively throughout England and Wales, preaching and writing on religious matters until her death in 1758.
While not as prevalent as some other English surnames, the name Budell has endured over the centuries, and various bearers of the name have left their mark on history through their achievements in fields such as warfare, commerce, publishing, and religious ministry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Budell
Among Census respondents with the surname Budell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Budell 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 Budell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 97
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Budell
Budell 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,027 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 11,027 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 8,198 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 Budell 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 | #144,141 | #152,339 | -5.7% |
| Count | 115 | 106 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Budell bearers went from 115 to 106 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 8,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #152,339.
FAQ
Budell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Budell?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Budell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Budell?
Budell ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Budell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Budell.
Has Budell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Budell went from 115 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Budell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Budell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Budell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Budell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (6.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Budell (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 Budell mean?
A surname possibly derived from the French "boudel" meaning bundle or bundle maker. 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 Budell (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 Americans have the surname Budell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.