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

Geel, 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 Geel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geel in America

Geel is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geel surname appeared 226 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 Geel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geel 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 Geel

The surname Geel is believed to have originated from the Netherlands and Belgium, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. This name is derived from the Dutch word "geel," which means "yellow" or "pale." It is likely that the name was initially associated with someone who had a pale complexion or light-colored hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Geel can be found in the Gelders Archief, a regional archive in the Netherlands, which dates back to the 14th century. In these records, the name appears with variations such as "Gheel" and "Gheele," reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time.

In the 16th century, the surname Geel gained prominence in the city of Geel, located in the Antwerp province of Belgium. This city was known for its historical treatment of individuals with mental illnesses, where they were cared for by local families, a practice that became known as the "Geel Question." It is possible that some individuals from this region adopted the surname Geel as a reference to their place of origin.

One notable figure bearing the surname Geel was Hendrik Geel (1670-1726), a Dutch scholar and linguist who studied ancient Greek and Latin texts. He made significant contributions to the understanding of classical literature and was widely respected in academic circles.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Jan Geel (1836-1915), a Belgian painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works were highly regarded during his lifetime and can be found in several museums and private collections.

In the 19th century, the surname Geel also gained recognition in Germany, where it was associated with the town of Geel in the Rhineland region. One notable German bearing this surname was Gustav Geel (1862-1942), a theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the philosophy of religion and the relationship between faith and reason.

During the 20th century, the surname Geel continued to be found across various parts of Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. One remarkable individual with this surname was Pieter Geel (1933-2012), a Dutch artist and sculptor known for his abstract and figurative works, which were exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.

While the surname Geel may have originated from a descriptive term related to physical appearance or a specific geographic location, it has since evolved to represent a diverse array of individuals and their contributions to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geel

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

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 Geel 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 Geel 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 Geel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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