2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Dargel
A surname of Welsh origin derived from a combination of "dar" meaning oak tree and "gell" meaning grove or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Dargel. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dargel 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Dargel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dargel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dargel
The surname DARGEL is of German origin, believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany around the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "darg," which means "defiant" or "bold." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone with a fierce or courageous demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DARGEL surname can be found in a document from the town of Regensburg, dated 1387, which mentions a certain "Hans Dargel." This suggests that the name had already established itself in the area by that time.
Another notable mention of the DARGEL name occurs in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. A record from 1412 refers to a "Cuntz Dargel" from the town of Leipzig.
In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various regions across Germany. For instance, a Johannes DARGEL was born in Nuremberg in 1521, while a Heinrich DARGEL was recorded in the city of Cologne in 1568.
As the DARGEL family spread across Europe, the name underwent slight variations in spelling. In France, it was sometimes rendered as "Dargelle," while in England, it appeared as "Dargill" or "Dargall."
One notable figure bearing the DARGEL surname was Hans DARGEL (1567-1634), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. His compositions, primarily for organ and voice, were widely celebrated during his lifetime.
Another individual of historical significance was Margarethe DARGEL (1642-1718), a German midwife and author from Nuremberg. Her published works, which included treatises on childbirth and women's health, were highly influential in their time and contributed to the advancement of midwifery as a profession.
In the 19th century, the DARGEL name gained prominence in the field of literature with the author and poet Ernst DARGEL (1823-1891). Born in Silesia, he was renowned for his lyrical works and his contributions to the German Romantic movement.
The DARGEL surname can also be traced to the Netherlands, where a notable figure was the Dutch painter Jan DARGEL (1765-1842). His landscapes and seascapes were widely acclaimed, and his works can be found in several prestigious art collections across Europe.
Finally, a more recent figure of note was the German architect and urban planner Otto DARGEL (1878-1952). He was instrumental in the design and development of several major housing projects in Berlin during the early 20th century, contributing significantly to the city's urban landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dargel
Among Census respondents with the surname Dargel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dargel 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 Dargel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 106
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dargel
Dargel 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
-10 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 13,736 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-24 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 13,736 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 21,964 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 Dargel 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 | #123,064 | #145,028 | -17.8% |
| Count | 140 | 116 | -17.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dargel bearers went from 140 to 116 (-17.1% change). The surname moved down 21,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #145,028.
FAQ
Dargel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dargel?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Dargel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Dargel?
Dargel ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Dargel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Dargel.
Has Dargel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dargel went from 140 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Dargel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dargel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) 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 Dargel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dargel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%), 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 Dargel (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 Dargel mean?
A surname of Welsh origin derived from a combination of "dar" meaning oak tree and "gell" meaning grove or clearing. 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 Dargel (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 people have the last name Dargel?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Dargel at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.