2000
#14,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,953
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Cissell
An English occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "sisel" or "scissell," meaning a maker of scissors or shears.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,241 Americans carry the last name Cissell. That puts it at #14,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cissell 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
2.2K
1 in 152,947
Census rank
#14,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,954 bearers of the surname Cissell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cissell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cissell
The surname Cissell has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cisel" which means "gravel" or "pebble." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a gravelly area or worked with gravel or pebbles in some capacity.
Cissell was originally spelled in various ways such as Cissel, Cissell, Cyssell, and Cysyll. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1195, where a Robert Cissel is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the Cissell family can be traced to the county of Gloucestershire, where they held lands and property. A John Cissell is recorded as being a landowner in the village of Frampton-on-Severn in 1279.
The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a William Cissell as a resident of the village of Steeple Aston.
One notable individual with the surname Cissell was Sir John Cissell, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 16th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Tewkesbury in 1555.
Another prominent figure was Richard Cissell, who was born in 1602 in the village of Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants went on to establish themselves as part of the landed gentry in the county.
In the 17th century, the Cissell family had spread to other parts of England, including Warwickshire and Staffordshire. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Cissell, born in 1643 in Warwick, who was a renowned scholar and author.
The name Cissell can also be found in various historical records and documents from the 16th to 18th centuries, including parish registers, wills, and tax records.
While the surname Cissell is not as common today as it was in past centuries, it maintains a rich history and legacy that can be traced back to its origins in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cissell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cissell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cissell 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 Cissell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 1,774
- Two or more races3.2% · 63
- Black or African American3.1% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cissell
Cissell 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
#14,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,023
+70 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 561 places
2020
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,954
-69 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,134 | 1,953 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,695 | 2,023 | 0.69 | +70 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 561 places |
| 2020 | #14,628 | 1,954 | 0.65 | -69 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 67 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 Cissell 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 | #14,695 | #14,628 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,023 | 1,954 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.65 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cissell bearers went from 2,023 to 1,954 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,695 to #14,628.
FAQ
Cissell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cissell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,241 living Americans carry the surname Cissell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,947 residents.
How common is Cissell?
Cissell ranks #14,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,954 people with the surname Cissell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Cissell.
Has Cissell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cissell went from 2,023 recorded bearers to 1,954. That is a decrease of 69 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,695 to #14,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Cissell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cissell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) 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 Cissell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (1,774 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cissell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%), 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 Cissell (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 Cissell mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "sisel" or "scissell," meaning a maker of scissors or shears. 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 Cissell (0.65 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 Cissell?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Cissell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.