2000
#12,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Ertel
Derived from the German word "ert" meaning "earth," likely referring to an earth-digger or plowman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,387 Americans carry the last name Ertel. That puts it at #13,888 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,592 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ertel 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
2.4K
1 in 143,592
Census rank
#13,888
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,082 bearers of the surname Ertel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13888th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ertel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ertel
The surname Ertel originated in Germany, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "ert," meaning "earth" or "soil," suggesting the name may have been initially associated with occupations or locations related to agriculture or land cultivation.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Ertel can be found in the medieval town records of Nuremberg, Bavaria, where a certain Heinrich Ertel was listed as a landowner in 1284. This provides evidence of the name's early roots in southern Germany.
Throughout the centuries, the name Ertel has appeared in various historical records across German-speaking regions. For instance, in the 16th century, a renowned theologian and mathematician named Paul Ertel (1536-1596) was born in Nuremberg and made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and cartography.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Ertel was Johann Ertel (1615-1682), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg renowned for his intricate copperplate engravings depicting religious and allegorical scenes.
In the 18th century, the name Ertel was associated with the city of Bamberg in Bavaria, where the Ertel family was known for their involvement in the local brewing industry. Johann Georg Ertel (1738-1807), a prominent brewer and businessman from Bamberg, played a crucial role in the development of the city's beer culture during this period.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Ertel gained recognition through the works of the Austrian writer and poet Franz Ertel (1809-1883), who was born in Vienna and is considered a significant figure in the Biedermeier literary movement.
Over the centuries, the surname Ertel has undergone various spelling variations, such as Ertl, Ertel, and Erttl, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences within German-speaking areas. Additionally, the name has been associated with numerous place names and locations throughout Germany, including Ertelshausen, Ertelenbruch, and Ertelberg, further solidifying its deep-rooted presence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ertel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ertel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ertel 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 Ertel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 1,961
- Two or more races2.4% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ertel
Ertel 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
#13,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,170
-57 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 1,186 places
2020
#13,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,082
-88 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,730 | 2,227 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,916 | 2,170 | 0.74 | -57 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 1,186 places |
| 2020 | #13,888 | 2,082 | 0.70 | -88 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 28 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 Ertel 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 | #13,916 | #13,888 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,170 | 2,082 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.70 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ertel bearers went from 2,170 to 2,082 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,916 to #13,888.
FAQ
Ertel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ertel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,387 living Americans carry the surname Ertel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,592 residents.
How common is Ertel?
Ertel ranks #13,888 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,082 people with the surname Ertel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,387), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Ertel.
Has Ertel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ertel went from 2,170 recorded bearers to 2,082. That is a decrease of 88 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,916 to #13,888.
What does the Census say about the background of Ertel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ertel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Ertel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (1,961 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ertel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Ertel (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 Ertel mean?
Derived from the German word "ert" meaning "earth," likely referring to an earth-digger or plowman. 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 Ertel (0.70 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 Ertel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.