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

Drexel, 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 Drexel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drexel in America

Drexel is the 30139th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drexel surname appeared 778 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 Drexel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drexel 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 Drexel

The surname Drexel is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "drehsel," which means "turner" or "lathe operator," referring to someone who worked with wood, turning it on a lathe to create objects such as bowls, spindles, or furniture components.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Drexel can be found in medieval German records from the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily in regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. The name was often spelled in various ways, including Drechsel, Drechsler, and Drechssler, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest known references to the name Drexel is found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterium, a 13th-century manuscript from the Benedictine monastery in Regensburg, Bavaria. This document mentions a "Cunrad Drechsel" as a witness to a land transaction.

In the 15th century, the name Drexel appeared in the records of the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, a prominent center of craftsmanship and trade. Several Drexel families were listed as members of the city's guilds, including turners, woodworkers, and carpenters.

A notable figure from this time period was Hans Drexel (c. 1470-1538), a master woodcarver and sculptor from Nuremberg. His intricate works adorned many churches and buildings in the city, and he is considered one of the most skilled artists of the German Renaissance.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Drexel name spread throughout various regions of Germany, with some families establishing themselves in other parts of Europe, such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. One prominent individual from this era was Johann Drexel (1564-1638), a Jesuit priest and theologian from Augsburg, who wrote extensively on moral philosophy and theology.

In the 18th century, the Drexel name gained prominence in the banking and finance industries. Francis Martin Drexel (1792-1863), a successful banker from Austria, immigrated to the United States in 1837 and established the Drexel & Co. banking house in Philadelphia. His son, Anthony Joseph Drexel (1826-1893), became one of the most influential financiers and philanthropists of the 19th century, founding the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia.

Other notable individuals with the surname Drexel include Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), an American heiress and Catholic nun who dedicated her life and fortune to establishing schools and missions for Native Americans and African Americans, and John A. Drexel III (1891-1963), an American banker and philanthropist who served as the president of Drexel & Co. and supported various cultural and educational institutions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drexel

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

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

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

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