2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Celler
A surname derived from an occupation related to wine or vineyard management.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Celler. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Celler 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Celler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Celler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Celler
The surname CELLER is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the southern regions such as Bavaria and Austria. It likely emerged sometime during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Keller," which translates to "cellar" or "basement."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CELLER surname can be found in the Bavarian town records from the late 15th century. These documents mention a family by the name of Celler residing in the region. It is possible that the name was initially an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked in or was responsible for the cellar or wine storage area.
In the 16th century, the CELLER name appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, located in the German state of Bavaria. These records document a merchant named Hans Celler, who was born in 1512 and lived until 1587. He was a prominent figure in the local trade guild and contributed to the city's economic growth during that era.
Another notable individual with the CELLER surname was Johann Celler, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1638 to 1706. He was a professor at the University of Wittenberg and made significant contributions to the field of Protestant theology during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the CELLER name gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of Johann Christian Celler in 1738. He was a German philologist and educator who specialized in classical literature and languages. His scholarly works on ancient Greek and Latin texts were highly influential in academic circles of that time.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the CELLER surname was Emanuel Celler, a German-American lawyer and politician. Born in 1888, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, representing New York's 10th congressional district from 1923 to 1973. He played a crucial role in the civil rights movement and was a prominent advocate for immigration reform.
Throughout its history, the CELLER surname has been associated with various professions, from merchants and theologians to scholars and politicians. While the name may have originated as an occupational surname, it has since evolved and spread across different regions, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of Germany and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Celler
Among Census respondents with the surname Celler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Celler 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 Celler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Black or African American4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Celler
Celler 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,634 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 17,634 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 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 Celler 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 | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Celler bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Celler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Celler?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Celler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Celler?
Celler ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Celler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Celler.
Has Celler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Celler went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Celler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Celler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (4.4%). 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 Celler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Celler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (7.1%), Black (4.4%). 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 Celler (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 Celler mean?
A surname derived from an occupation related to wine or vineyard management. 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 Celler (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 people have the last name Celler?
Find out how many people have the surname Celler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.