2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fussel
A surname likely derived from the German word for "fur," potentially indicating an occupation associated with fur or wool.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Fussel. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fussel 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Fussel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fussel, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fussel
The surname Fussel originates from Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "fussel," meaning "fluff" or "lint." The name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone whose occupation involved working with textiles or clothing.
Fussel is a variant spelling of the German surname Fussler, which shares the same etymological roots. In the early records, the name was often spelled as Fussler, Fußler, or Fusseler, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Fussel can be found in the church records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. A record from 1589 mentions a Hans Fussler, a weaver by trade, residing in the city.
In the 17th century, the surname Fussel appeared in various parts of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this period, the name was associated with several notable individuals, such as Johann Fussel (1608-1673), a Lutheran theologian and author from Nuremberg.
As the name spread across different regions, it underwent variations in spelling and pronunciation. In some areas, it was written as Füssel or Füssler, reflecting the umlaut over the "u" in the German language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fussel surname in America dates back to the 18th century. Johann Georg Fussel (1721-1803), a German immigrant, settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.
Another notable figure was Christian Fussel (1755-1828), a Hessian soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. After being captured by the Continental Army, he decided to stay in America and became a successful businessman in Philadelphia.
In the 19th century, the Fussel surname gained recognition through individuals like Friedrich Fussel (1811-1879), a German-American brewer and entrepreneur who established the Fussel Brewing Company in Philadelphia.
Other historical references include Johann Fussel (1873-1957), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape paintings, and Hans Fussel (1912-1994), a German-American literary theorist and cultural critic who taught at Yale University.
Throughout its history, the Fussel surname has been associated with various occupations, including weavers, textile workers, brewers, artists, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fussel
Among Census respondents with the surname Fussel, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fussel 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 Fussel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 86
- Black or African American11.4% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fussel
Fussel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,594 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 3,594 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 Fussel 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 | #149,395 | #152,989 | -2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 105 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fussel bearers went from 110 to 105 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 3,594 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,989.
FAQ
Fussel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fussel?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Fussel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Fussel?
Fussel ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Fussel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Fussel.
Has Fussel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fussel went from 110 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Fussel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fussel, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Fussel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fussel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (11.4%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Fussel (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 Fussel mean?
A surname likely derived from the German word for "fur," potentially indicating an occupation associated with fur or wool. 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 Fussel (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 Fussel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.