2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Emmell
A variant spelling of the surname Emmell, possibly derived from a Middle English personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Emmell. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Emmell 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Emmell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Emmell
The surname Emmell is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "em" meaning "uncle" and "el" meaning "old" or "elder." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for a respected older relative or elder within a family or community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Emelus." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and their holdings across much of England and parts of Wales.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Emmel" and "Emmell" started appearing in various records and documents from counties like Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devon. This geographic spread indicates that the name was well-established in the southwestern regions of England by this time.
In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Emmell, a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Taunton in Somerset. Records show that he was involved in various business ventures and held significant property holdings in the area.
Moving into the 15th century, the Emmell surname can be found in the records of several ecclesiastical institutions. One such example is Thomas Emmell, who served as a canon at the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, Wiltshire, around the year 1470.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in connection with several places, such as Emmell's Hill in Somerset and Emmell's Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families bearing the Emmell surname who were associated with those locations.
One notable figure from this era was Sir William Emmell, born in 1525 in Devon. He was a prominent military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I and played a significant role in the English campaigns against the Spanish Armada in the late 1500s.
As the centuries progressed, the Emmell surname continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the southwestern counties. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, it maintained its distinct identity and connection to its Old English roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Emmell
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Emmell 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 Emmell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 94
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Emmell
Emmell 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,950 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,950 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Emmell 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Emmell bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Emmell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Emmell?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Emmell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Emmell?
Emmell ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Emmell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Emmell.
Has Emmell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Emmell went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Emmell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Emmell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Emmell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Emmell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Emmell (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 Emmell mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Emmell, possibly derived from a Middle English personal name. 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 Emmell (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 Americans have the surname Emmell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.