2000
#46,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 437
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Counsell
An English occupational surname derived from the word "counsel", referring to someone who provided advice or counsel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 491 Americans carry the last name Counsell. That puts it at #52,367 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 698,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Counsell 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 Counsell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
491
1 in 698,074
Census rank
#52,367
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
428
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 428 bearers of the surname Counsell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52367th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Counsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Counsell
The surname COUNSELL is of English origin, derived from the Old French word 'conseil', meaning counsel or advice. It is an occupational surname that was initially given to those who served as counselors or advisers, often in a legal or administrative capacity.
The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early recordings found in various medieval records and documents. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Counsell, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Counseil, Cunseil, and Cunsail, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, there is a record of a Robert Cunseil.
As the surname spread across England, it became associated with certain localities, leading to the formation of place-names like Counsell's Green in Oxfordshire and Counsell's Farm in Gloucestershire.
Notable individuals bearing the COUNSELL surname include Sir John Counsell (1568-1638), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton during the reign of King James I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Counsell (1727-1789), a renowned architect who designed several churches and buildings in Bath and Bristol.
In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through the work of Edward Counsell (1740-1819), a renowned engraver and illustrator whose prints and etchings captured the landscapes and architectural wonders of England.
During the 19th century, William Counsell (1806-1873) made significant contributions to the field of engineering, working on various railway projects and serving as the Chief Engineer of the London and North Western Railway.
Another notable figure was Henry Counsell (1854-1932), a British military officer who served in the Boer War and World War I, earning several decorations for his bravery and leadership.
Throughout its history, the COUNSELL surname has been associated with individuals from various professions, including law, architecture, engineering, and the military, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this occupational name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Counsell
Among Census respondents with the surname Counsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Counsell 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 Counsell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 378
- Black or African American8.2% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 11
- Two or more races0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Counsell
Counsell 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
#46,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 462
+25 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 138 places
2020
#52,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 428
-34 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 6,229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,000 | 437 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,138 | 462 | 0.16 | +25 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 138 places |
| 2020 | #52,367 | 428 | 0.14 | -34 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 6,229 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 Counsell 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 | #46,138 | #52,367 | -13.5% |
| Count | 462 | 428 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.14 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Counsell bearers went from 462 to 428 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 6,229 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,138 to #52,367.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Counsell
FAQ
Counsell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Counsell?
Name Census estimates that about 491 living Americans carry the surname Counsell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 698,074 residents.
How common is Counsell?
Counsell ranks #52,367 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 428 people with the surname Counsell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (491), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Counsell.
Has Counsell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Counsell went from 462 recorded bearers to 428. That is a decrease of 34 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,138 to #52,367.
What does the Census say about the background of Counsell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Counsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Counsell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (378 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Counsell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (8.2%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Counsell (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 Counsell mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the word "counsel", referring to someone who provided 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 Counsell (0.14 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 Counsell?
See how common the surname Counsell is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.