Find out how popular the last name Fassel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fassel.

Fassel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fassel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fassel in America

Fassel is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fassel surname appeared 236 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fassel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fassel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Fassel

The surname Fassel has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 14th century in regions of what is now modern-day Germany. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Fass," which referred to a barrel or cask, suggesting that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a cooper or barrel maker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fassel can be found in the Bavarian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late 1300s, where a family by the name of Fassel lived and worked as coopers. In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the Rhineland region, including mention of a Hans Fassel, a merchant from the city of Cologne.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Fassel family spread across different parts of Europe, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Fassell, Fasl, and Fassl. This was common during that era due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

Notable individuals with the surname Fassel throughout history include Johann Fassel (1551-1618), a German theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg, and Wilhelm Fassel (1676-1738), a Baroque painter from the city of Nuremberg, renowned for his religious works and portraits.

In the 18th century, Michael Fassel (1719-1788) was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a colonel in the Continental Army and fighting in several key battles alongside George Washington. Another noteworthy Fassel was August Fassel (1805-1876), a German-born American engineer who made significant contributions to the construction of railroads and bridges in the United States during the 19th century.

The name Fassel can also be found in historical records from other European countries, such as France and Switzerland, where it was likely introduced by German immigrants or traders. However, the majority of the early recorded instances of the surname are concentrated in various regions of Germany, reflecting its Germanic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fassel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fassel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fassel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fassel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fassel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fassel, please contact us.

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