2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fankhanel
A German surname likely derived from a place name referring to someone from a locality named Fan(k)hain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Fankhanel. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fankhanel 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Fankhanel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fankhanel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fankhanel
The surname Fankhanel is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "fanke," which means "spark" or "flame," and the suffix "-hanel," which is a diminutive form of the name Hans or Johann.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fankhanel can be found in the Bavarian town records of Augsburg, where a man named Ulrich Fankhanel was listed as a resident in the year 1357. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the mid-14th century.
In the 16th century, the name Fankhanel appeared in various historical documents and records throughout southern Germany. For instance, a Johann Fankhanel was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Nuremberg in 1532, indicating that members of the Fankhanel family had spread to other parts of Germany by that time.
During the 17th century, the name Fankhanel became more widespread across German-speaking regions. One notable individual from this period was Hans Fankhanel, a respected clockmaker who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber between 1620 and 1689. His intricate and finely crafted clocks were highly sought after by the local nobility and wealthy merchants.
In the 18th century, the Fankhanel surname gained further prominence with the birth of Friedrich Fankhanel (1743-1821), a renowned German poet and playwright. His works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, were widely celebrated during the Romantic era.
Another notable figure from the 19th century was Karl Fankhanel (1858-1932), a German architect who designed several iconic buildings in the city of Berlin, including the Reichstag and the Berlin Cathedral. His neoclassical style and attention to detail earned him widespread acclaim and numerous commissions from the Prussian government.
Throughout its long history, the surname Fankhanel has been associated with various occupations and professions, from craftsmen and artists to scholars and professionals. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Bavaria, the name has since spread across Germany and beyond, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of German culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fankhanel
Among Census respondents with the surname Fankhanel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fankhanel 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 Fankhanel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fankhanel
Fankhanel 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+11 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,414 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 1,414 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,894 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 Fankhanel 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 | #137,327 | #147,221 | -7.2% |
| Count | 122 | 113 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fankhanel bearers went from 122 to 113 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,221.
FAQ
Fankhanel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fankhanel?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Fankhanel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Fankhanel?
Fankhanel ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Fankhanel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Fankhanel.
Has Fankhanel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fankhanel went from 122 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Fankhanel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fankhanel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Fankhanel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fankhanel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), Black (0.9%). 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 Fankhanel (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 Fankhanel mean?
A German surname likely derived from a place name referring to someone from a locality named Fan(k)hain. 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 Fankhanel (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 Fankhanel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.