2000
#13,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Estell
Derived from a place name meaning "east hill" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,148 Americans carry the last name Estell. That puts it at #15,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,569 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Estell 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
2.1K
1 in 159,569
Census rank
#15,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,873 bearers of the surname Estell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Estell, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (37.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Estell
The surname Estell is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "estel," which means "a residential site" or "a homestead." This suggests that the name was originally adopted by individuals who lived in a particular location or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Estell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical record, the name appears as "Estel," indicating its longstanding presence in the English language.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Estell began to appear more frequently in various documents and records. One notable bearer of this name was John Estell, a merchant who lived in London in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the city's records as a prominent trader and landowner.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "Estell." One of the earliest documented individuals with this spelling was William Estell, a farmer from Oxfordshire who was born around 1520. His descendants continued to carry the surname in the region for several generations.
Another significant figure in the history of the Estell surname was Sir Thomas Estell, a military commander who served during the English Civil War in the 17th century. He was born in 1610 and fought on the Royalist side, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
As the centuries progressed, the Estell surname spread across different regions of England, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in counties such as Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Robert Estell, a prominent landowner in Devon born in 1725, and Mary Estell, a renowned author and poet from Gloucestershire, who was born in 1789 and gained recognition for her literary works.
Throughout its history, the surname Estell has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, military service, and literature. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, the name has endured and been carried forward by generations of individuals, each contributing to its rich legacy and significance within English genealogy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Estell
Among Census respondents with the surname Estell, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (37.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Estell 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 Estell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.2% · 996
- Black or African American37.4% · 700
- Two or more races5.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Estell
Estell 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
#13,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,155
+140 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 205 places
2020
#15,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,873
-282 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,780 | 2,015 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,985 | 2,155 | 0.73 | +140 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 205 places |
| 2020 | #15,115 | 1,873 | 0.63 | -282 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 1,130 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 Estell 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 | #13,985 | #15,115 | -8.1% |
| Count | 2,155 | 1,873 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.63 | -14.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Estell bearers went from 2,155 to 1,873 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 1,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,985 to #15,115.
FAQ
Estell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Estell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,148 living Americans carry the surname Estell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,569 residents.
How common is Estell?
Estell ranks #15,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,873 people with the surname Estell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Estell.
Has Estell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Estell went from 2,155 recorded bearers to 1,873. That is a decrease of 282 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,985 to #15,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Estell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Estell, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Black (37.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Estell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.2% (996 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Estell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.2%), Black (37.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Estell (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 Estell mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "east hill" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there. 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 Estell (0.63 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 have the last name Estell?
See how common the surname Estell is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.