2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ekkel
A surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "oak" or "oak tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Ekkel. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ekkel 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Ekkel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ekkel
The surname "EKKEL" has its origins in the Netherlands, particularly in the regions of Friesland and Groningen, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Frisian word "ekkelen," which means "to repeat" or "to echo." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who had a tendency to repeat or echo words or phrases.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "EKKEL" can be found in the Dutch municipal records of the city of Groningen from the year 1598, where a certain Jan Ekkel is mentioned as a resident. In the same century, the name also appeared in the baptismal records of the Reformed Church in the town of Leeuwarden, Friesland, indicating its widespread use in the region.
The name "EKKEL" has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Pieter Ekkel, a Dutch Golden Age painter born in Haarlem in 1586. He was known for his still-life paintings and landscapes, and his works can be found in various museums across the Netherlands.
Another prominent bearer of the surname was Jacob Ekkel, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. He was a professor at the University of Groningen and made significant contributions to the field of Protestant theology.
In the 18th century, a merchant named Dirk Ekkel gained recognition for his successful trading ventures in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). His business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit helped establish the Ekkel family as a respected name in the commercial circles of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, we encounter Hendrik Ekkel, a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Provincial Council of Friesland from 1848 to 1856. He played a notable role in advocating for the rights of farmers and rural communities in the region.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Jelle Ekkel, a contemporary Dutch artist born in 1968, who is renowned for his abstract expressionist paintings and mixed-media works. His art has been exhibited in various galleries and museums across Europe, showcasing the enduring creative spirit associated with the surname "EKKEL."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ekkel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Ekkel 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 Ekkel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 110
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ekkel
Ekkel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 10,266 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 Ekkel 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 | #159,712 | #149,446 | 6.4% |
| Count | 101 | 110 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ekkel bearers went from 101 to 110 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 10,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Ekkel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ekkel?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Ekkel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Ekkel?
Ekkel ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Ekkel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Ekkel.
Has Ekkel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ekkel went from 101 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 9 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Ekkel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ekkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Ekkel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ekkel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Ekkel (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 Ekkel mean?
A surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "oak" or "oak tree". 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 Ekkel (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 share the surname Ekkel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.