Find out how popular the last name Dancel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dancel.

Dancel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dancel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dancel in America

Dancel is the 38691st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dancel surname appeared 571 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dancel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dancel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dancel

The surname Dancel is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "dancel," which means "a young nobleman" or "a squire." This name likely emerged as a descriptive term, given to individuals who held the position of a young nobleman or squire in the feudal hierarchy.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Dancel can be traced back to the 12th century in various historical documents from Normandy. One notable mention is found in the Chartulary of the Abbey of Fontaine-Guérard, where a certain "Robertus Dancel" is listed among the witnesses to a land grant in 1182.

In the 13th century, the name Dancel appears in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a collection of records compiled during the reign of King Edward I of England. This document includes references to individuals with the surname Dancel residing in various counties of England, suggesting that the name had spread beyond its Norman origins.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Dancel surname was Jean Dancel, a French nobleman born in the early 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Philip VI of France and participated in several military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable individual with the surname Dancel was Pierre Dancel, a French scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He served as a professor at the University of Paris and authored several influential works on religious philosophy.

During the 16th century, the Dancel family established a presence in the region of Burgundy, France. One member of this branch, Jacques Dancel (1520-1589), was a celebrated poet and playwright whose works were widely acclaimed in literary circles of the time.

In the 17th century, the name Dancel appears in records from the Netherlands, suggesting that some bearers of the name had migrated to the Low Countries. One such individual was Willem Dancel (1625-1697), a Dutch merchant and trader who made significant contributions to the economic development of Amsterdam.

The 18th century saw the Dancel surname spread further across Europe, with several notable figures emerging. Among them was François Dancel (1744-1812), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and participated in numerous campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the surname Dancel continued to disperse throughout various regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Dancell, Dansell, and Dauncel. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Norman heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dancel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dancel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dancel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dancel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dancel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dancel, please contact us.

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