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

Densel, 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 Densel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Densel in America

Densel is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Densel surname appeared 144 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 Densel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Densel 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 Densel

The surname Densel has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "dennîn," meaning "thunder" or "roar." This is thought to have been an occupational name initially given to someone who worked as a drummer or a town crier.

The earliest recorded mention of the Densel name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Rhine region, dating back to 1183. This reference is to a certain "Heinricus Dennîn" from the town of Cologne.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Densel, Denzel, and Denzil, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Johannes Densel, a merchant from Nuremberg, who is mentioned in trade records from 1367.

As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, it became associated with certain place names. For example, the town of Denzlingen in Baden-Württemberg is believed to have derived its name from the Densel surname.

In the 16th century, the Densel name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Densel (1489-1563), a German mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with developing early calculating machines and is considered a pioneer in the field of mechanical computing.

Another notable figure with the Densel surname was Hans Densel (1570-1638), a German artist and engraver from Nuremberg. His intricate etchings and engravings of biblical scenes and landscapes were highly sought after during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, the name gained a foothold in England, where it was sometimes anglicized as "Densill" or "Denzil." One such bearer was Denzil Onslow (1690-1768), a prominent British politician and Speaker of the House of Commons.

As the name spread across Europe and beyond, it continued to evolve and take on various spellings, such as Denzel, Densil, and Dencel. Notables with these variations include the Austrian composer Anton Denzel (1825-1894) and the French novelist Émile Dencel (1885-1947).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Densel

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

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 Densel 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 Densel 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 Densel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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