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

Driskell, 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 Driskell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Driskell in America

Driskell is the 7915th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Driskell surname appeared 4,180 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Driskell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Driskell 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 Driskell

The surname Driskell is believed to have originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Driscoll," which means "descendant of the messenger." The name is thought to have first appeared in County Cork, where it was prominent among families in the southwestern region of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Driscoll who lived in the 10th century. The name is also found in various Irish annals and manuscripts from the Middle Ages, indicating its longstanding presence in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Irish families, including those with the surname Driskell, emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and the Americas due to political and economic turmoil in Ireland. This diaspora led to the spread of the name across various regions.

One notable figure bearing the surname Driskell was Cornelius Driskell (1725-1800), an Irish-born American Revolutionary War soldier who served in the Continental Army. Another prominent individual was Alexander Driskell (1792-1869), a Scottish-born American merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1843 to 1844.

In the 19th century, several members of the Driskell family were involved in the settlement and development of the American West. One such individual was John Driskell (1824-1888), a pioneer and rancher who established one of the first cattle ranches in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Another notable figure was William Driskell (1845-1917), a Civil War veteran and businessman who played a significant role in the growth of the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He served as the city's first mayor in 1898 and was instrumental in the establishment of Tulsa's infrastructure and public services.

Additionally, the surname Driskell has been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Driscolls Rock, a promontory in County Cork, and several townlands bearing variations of the name, like Driscollstown and Driskillstown.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Driskell

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

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

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

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