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

Gehl, 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 Gehl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gehl in America

Gehl is the 20216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gehl surname appeared 1,318 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 Gehl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gehl 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 Gehl

The surname Gehl is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, possibly in the areas around Lower Saxony or Westphalia.

One theory suggests that the name Gehl is derived from the Old German word "geil," which meant "fertile" or "fruitful." This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a particularly fertile area or had a successful farming operation.

Another possible origin of the name is that it may have been a locational surname, referring to a specific place or settlement. There are several villages and towns in Germany with similar-sounding names, such as Gehlberg or Gehlen, which could have contributed to the development of the surname Gehl.

In terms of historical references, the name Gehl does not appear to be documented in major medieval records like the Domesday Book, which focused primarily on England. However, there are records of individuals with the surname Gehl in various German archives and church registers from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gehl is Johann Gehl, born around 1590 in the village of Menden, in what is now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Another notable figure was Christoph Gehl, a merchant and landowner who lived in the late 17th century in the town of Münster.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, as migration patterns increased, the Gehl surname began to spread beyond its original German homeland. Notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Friedrich Gehl (1783-1861), a German architect and urban planner known for his work in Hanover.
2. August Gehl (1807-1875), a German-American farmer and politician who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
3. Johann Baptist Gehl (1822-1899), a German Catholic priest and theologian from Bavaria.
4. Theodor Gehl (1852-1936), a German-American businessman and manufacturer of agricultural equipment in Wisconsin.
5. Hermann Gehl (1864-1934), a German-American farmer and entrepreneur who founded the Gehl Company, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, in West Bend, Wisconsin.

While the Gehl surname may have originated in a specific region of Germany, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gehl

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

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

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

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