2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Counsel
An occupational surname referring to someone providing advice or counsel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Counsel. 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 Counsel 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 Counsel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Counsel 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 Counsel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.7%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Counsel
The surname COUNSEL is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "conseil," which means "advice" or "counsel." The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who provided legal or administrative counsel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COUNSEL can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a John Counsel. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379, which lists a Robert Counsell. The spelling variations during this period include Counsell, Counsaille, and Counsill.
During the 16th century, the COUNSEL surname was found in several places across England, including London, where a Thomas Counsel was listed as a resident in 1568. There are also records of the name in Gloucestershire, where a William Counsel was born in 1587.
One notable individual bearing the COUNSEL surname was John Counsel (1598-1663), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Muston in Leicestershire. He wrote several religious works, including "The Spiritual Guide" and "The Perfect Man."
Another significant figure was Sir Edward Counsel (1628-1691), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1686 to 1688. He played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and was instrumental in securing the accession of William III and Mary II to the English throne.
In the 18th century, the COUNSEL name was found in various parts of England, including Oxfordshire, where a John Counsel was born in 1712. There was also a William Counsel (1735-1798), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.
One of the most prominent individuals with the COUNSEL surname was Sir William Counsel (1819-1893), a British politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney General for England and Wales from 1880 to 1885. He was also a Member of Parliament for Denbighshire and was knighted for his services to law and politics.
While the COUNSEL surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where descendants of English immigrants have continued to bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Counsel
Among Census respondents with the surname Counsel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.7%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Counsel 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 Counsel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American71.7% · 76
- White18.9% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Counsel
Counsel 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
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,385 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 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,385 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 Counsel 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 Counsel 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
Counsel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Counsel?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Counsel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Counsel?
Counsel 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 Counsel. 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 Counsel.
Has Counsel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Counsel 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 Counsel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Counsel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.7%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Counsel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.7% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Counsel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (71.7%), White (18.9%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Counsel (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 Counsel mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone providing advice or counsel. 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 Counsel (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 common is the surname Counsel?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Counsel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.