2000
#9,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,183
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Channell
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold candles, or dwelled near a canal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,477 Americans carry the last name Channell. That puts it at #10,132 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,578 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Channell 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 Channell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,578
Census rank
#10,132
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,032 bearers of the surname Channell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10132nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Channell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Channell
The surname Channell originates from the Old French word "chanel", meaning a channel or watercourse. It is believed to have first emerged in the region of Normandy, France, during the 11th century.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Chanel". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a channel or stream.
As the name spread throughout England during the Norman Conquest, various spelling variations emerged, including Chenell, Channill, and Channyll. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and pronunciations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Sir William Channell, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century. Another notable figure was John Channell, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was active in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Channell appeared in historical records from the American colonies. One such individual was Richard Channell, who was born in Virginia in 1652 and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.
During the 18th century, the surname Channell was associated with several prominent figures, including Sir Thomas Channell (1718-1789), a British naval officer, and John Channell (1730-1803), an English clergyman and author.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like William Henry Channell (1828-1901), a British painter and illustrator, and Frederick Channell (1853-1924), a Canadian businessman and politician.
Throughout its history, the surname Channell has been linked to various locations and place names, such as Channell Island in South Carolina, Channellville in Pennsylvania, and Channell Hill in Tennessee.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Channell
Among Census respondents with the surname Channell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Channell 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 Channell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 2,697
- Two or more races4.6% · 139
- Black or African American3.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Channell
Channell 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
#9,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,318
+135 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 378 places
2020
#10,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,032
-286 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,387 | 3,183 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,765 | 3,318 | 1.12 | +135 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 378 places |
| 2020 | #10,132 | 3,032 | 1.01 | -286 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 367 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 Channell 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 | #9,765 | #10,132 | -3.8% |
| Count | 3,318 | 3,032 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.01 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Channell bearers went from 3,318 to 3,032 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 367 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,765 to #10,132.
FAQ
Channell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Channell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,477 living Americans carry the surname Channell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,578 residents.
How common is Channell?
Channell ranks #10,132 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,032 people with the surname Channell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Channell.
Has Channell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Channell went from 3,318 recorded bearers to 3,032. That is a decrease of 286 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,765 to #10,132.
What does the Census say about the background of Channell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Channell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Channell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (2,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Channell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (3.1%). 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 Channell (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 Channell mean?
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold candles, or dwelled near a canal. 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 Channell (1.01 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 common is the surname Channell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Channell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.