2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dannel
A variant form of the surname Daniell, meaning son of Daniel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dannel. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dannel 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Dannel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dannel, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dannel
The surname Dannel has its origins in medieval Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "danneln," meaning "to walk slowly or meander." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who walked with a leisurely gait or lived a wandering lifestyle.
During the Middle Ages, the Dannel surname was prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it appeared in various municipal records and church registries. The Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, includes several references to individuals bearing the name Dannel in the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Dannel surname was Johannes Dannel, a merchant from Nuremberg who was documented in city records in 1387. Another notable figure was Konrad Dannel, a scholar and cleric who lived in Leipzig during the late 15th century and authored several theological treatises.
In the 16th century, the Dannel name gained prominence when Hans Dannel, a master craftsman from Dresden, established a renowned workshop for creating intricate wood carvings and furniture. His exquisite works adorned many noble households and churches throughout Saxony.
As the Dannel family spread across Germany, variations in spelling emerged, including Dannell, Dannel, and Danniel. In some regions, the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Dannelsdorf or Dannelshausen, which may have contributed to its regional diversity.
Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the Dannel surname achieved recognition in various fields. Johann Dannel (1628-1692) was a renowned composer and organist in Nuremberg, celebrated for his sacred choral works. Friedrich Dannel (1786-1859), a military officer, played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general in the Prussian army.
Another notable figure was Therese Dannel (1805-1878), a pioneering educator who established several schools for girls in Berlin and advocated for improved access to education for women. In more recent times, Gerhard Dannel (1925-2004), a German politician, served as a member of the Bundestag and held important positions within the Christian Democratic Union party.
The Dannel surname has a rich history that spans centuries and reflects the diverse experiences of its bearers across various regions of Germany. While its origins may lie in the simple act of walking, the name has become a tapestry woven with the stories of merchants, craftsmen, artists, scholars, and leaders who have left an indelible mark on their respective communities and fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dannel
Among Census respondents with the surname Dannel, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dannel 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 Dannel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.1% · 80
- Black or African American31.4% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dannel
Dannel 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-5 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,414 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-12 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,060 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -5 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 11,414 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 13,060 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 Dannel 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 | #128,249 | #141,309 | -10.2% |
| Count | 133 | 121 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dannel bearers went from 133 to 121 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 13,060 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dannel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dannel?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dannel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dannel?
Dannel ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Dannel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Dannel.
Has Dannel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dannel went from 133 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dannel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dannel, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dannel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dannel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.1%), Black (31.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Dannel (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 Dannel mean?
A variant form of the surname Daniell, meaning son of Daniel. 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 Dannel (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 many Americans have the surname Dannel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.