2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fankell
A surname deriving from a location possibly Fenkel, Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Fankell. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fankell 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Fankell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fankell, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fankell
The surname Fankell is believed to have originated in the German regions of Central Europe during the medieval period, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "fanke" and "kelle," which together translate to "spark bowl" or "spark container," suggesting that the name may have been associated with a profession related to metalworking or blacksmithing.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Fankell name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from the Brandenburg region, where a certain "Johannes Fankell" is mentioned in a record from 1275. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, with records indicating that a "Heinrich Fankell" was a prominent merchant in the city of Nuremberg in the late 1300s. Additionally, a "Konrad Fankell" is listed as a landowner in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1387.
During the 16th century, the Fankell name gained further recognition through the exploits of a notable figure named "Hans Fankell" (1510-1582), who was a respected military commander and strategist in the service of the Holy Roman Empire. His exploits are documented in various historical accounts of the time, and he is credited with playing a crucial role in several significant battles during the Schmalkaldic War.
Another notable individual bearing the Fankell surname was "Margarethe Fankell" (1567-1638), a renowned herbalist and midwife who lived in the town of Erfurt. Her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies was widely recognized, and she is said to have authored several manuscripts detailing her practices, although these have unfortunately been lost to time.
In the 18th century, the name Fankell appears to have been particularly prominent in the region of Saxony, with records indicating a "Johann Friedrich Fankell" (1712-1782) who was a respected architect and builder responsible for several notable structures in the city of Leipzig.
While the Fankell surname may not be as widely recognized as some other German names today, its rich history and deep roots in Central European culture make it a fascinating subject of study for those interested in onomastics and genealogy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fankell
Among Census respondents with the surname Fankell, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Fankell 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 Fankell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fankell
Fankell 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-14 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,196 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-23 bearers (-18.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 18,196 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.1%) | Down 20,542 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 Fankell 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 | #133,048 | #153,590 | -15.4% |
| Count | 127 | 104 | -18.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fankell bearers went from 127 to 104 (-18.1% change). The surname moved down 20,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #153,590.
FAQ
Fankell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fankell?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Fankell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Fankell?
Fankell ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Fankell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Fankell.
Has Fankell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fankell went from 127 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Fankell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fankell, 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 Fankell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fankell 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 Fankell (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 Fankell mean?
A surname deriving from a location possibly Fenkel, Germany. 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 Fankell (0.03 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 Fankell?
If you just want to know how common the surname Fankell is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.