2000
#8,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Ebel
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the given name Abel, meaning "breath" or "son."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,690 Americans carry the last name Ebel. That puts it at #9,648 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,887 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ebel 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
3.7K
1 in 92,887
Census rank
#9,648
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,218 bearers of the surname Ebel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9648th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ebel
The surname EBEL is of German origin, originating from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is derived from the Old German word "ebil," meaning "equal" or "level," suggesting it may have originally been an occupational name for a land surveyor or someone who worked with leveling or measuring land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the EBEL surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in various medieval records and manuscripts from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.
In the 15th century, a notable EBEL was Johannes Ebel, a German poet and writer from Saxony, who lived from approximately 1420 to 1475. His works included religious poems and satirical writings, reflecting the literary culture of the time.
Another historical figure bearing the EBEL surname was Johann Philipp Ebel, a German engraver and printmaker born in Nuremberg in 1637. He was known for his intricate engravings and etchings, particularly of landscapes and architectural subjects.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Ebel (1720-1784) was a German composer and organist from Saxony. He composed numerous works for the church, including cantatas and organ pieces, and was highly regarded for his contributions to sacred music.
The EBEL surname is also associated with place names in Germany, such as the town of Ebel in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. This town's name is likely derived from the same Old German root as the surname, indicating a connection to the leveling or surveying of land.
Another noteworthy individual with the EBEL surname was Johann Georg Ebel, a Swiss geologist and naturalist born in 1764. He is known for his extensive studies and publications on the geology and natural history of Switzerland and the Alps, contributing significantly to the field of earth sciences in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ebel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ebel 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 Ebel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,962
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 100
- Two or more races3.1% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ebel
Ebel 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
#9,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,423
+37 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 605 places
2020
#9,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,218
-205 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,891 | 3,386 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,496 | 3,423 | 1.16 | +37 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 605 places |
| 2020 | #9,648 | 3,218 | 1.08 | -205 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 152 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 Ebel 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 | #9,496 | #9,648 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,423 | 3,218 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.08 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ebel bearers went from 3,423 to 3,218 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,496 to #9,648.
FAQ
Ebel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ebel?
Name Census estimates that about 3,690 living Americans carry the surname Ebel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,887 residents.
How common is Ebel?
Ebel ranks #9,648 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,218 people with the surname Ebel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,690), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ebel.
Has Ebel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ebel went from 3,423 recorded bearers to 3,218. That is a decrease of 205 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,496 to #9,648.
What does the Census say about the background of Ebel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Ebel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,962 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ebel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Ebel (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 Ebel mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the given name Abel, meaning "breath" or "son." 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 Ebel (1.08 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 share the surname Ebel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.