2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Forkell
A surname derived from a Scandinavian place name containing the elements "fork" and "kjedl".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Forkell. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forkell 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Forkell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forkell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.2%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forkell
The surname Forkell has its origins in the Scandinavian regions of Northern Europe, particularly Norway and Sweden. It is believed to have emerged during the Viking era, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. The name likely derives from the Old Norse word "forkell," which means "one who goes ahead" or "leader."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forkell can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval literary works that chronicle the lives and adventures of prominent Norsemen. In the Saga of Erik the Red, a character named Forkell is mentioned as one of the first settlers of Greenland, accompanying Erik the Red's expedition in the late 10th century.
During the Viking Age, the Norsemen embarked on extensive exploration and settlement voyages, carrying their surnames with them as they established communities across Europe and beyond. It is possible that the name Forkell was introduced to various regions through these migrations, particularly in areas where Norse influence was strong, such as the British Isles and parts of mainland Europe.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Forkell include Forkell Gunnlaugsson (c. 1010-1092), an Icelandic lawspeaker and chieftain who played a significant role in the Icelandic Commonwealth during the 11th century. Another prominent figure was Forkell the Black (c. 1060-1125), a Norse-Gaelic warlord who ruled over parts of Ireland and was involved in conflicts with the Irish kings.
In England, the name Forkell can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book records a landowner named Forkell holding estates in several counties, including Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
As the centuries passed, the name Forkell underwent various spelling variations, such as Forkill, Forkill, and Forkyll. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the adaptation of the name to different languages and cultures.
Other notable individuals with the surname Forkell include Forkell Johannesson (1633-1694), an Icelandic mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics, and Forkell Thordarson (1815-1895), an Icelandic Lutheran minister and poet who played a prominent role in the cultural and literary movements of Iceland in the 19th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Forkell has maintained a strong connection to its Scandinavian roots, reflecting the legacy of the Viking explorers and settlers who carried this name across various regions of Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forkell
Among Census respondents with the surname Forkell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.2%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Forkell 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 Forkell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.2% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forkell
Forkell 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,804 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 14,804 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 10,266 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 Forkell 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 | #159,712 | #149,446 | 6.4% |
| Count | 101 | 110 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forkell bearers went from 101 to 110 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 10,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Forkell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forkell?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Forkell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Forkell?
Forkell ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Forkell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Forkell.
Has Forkell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forkell went from 101 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 9 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Forkell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forkell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.2%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Forkell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forkell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.2%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Forkell (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 Forkell mean?
A surname derived from a Scandinavian place name containing the elements "fork" and "kjedl". 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 Forkell (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 people have the last name Forkell?
Find out how many people have the last name Forkell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.