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

Gell, 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 Gell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gell in America

Gell is the 41959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gell surname appeared 518 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 Gell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gell 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 Gell

The surname GELL originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "gelle" or "gille," meaning a deep rocky dell or ravine. This suggests that the name was likely first adopted by someone who lived near such a geographical feature or came from a place name containing that element.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 12th century, with references found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the Middle Ages, indicating that individuals bearing the GELL surname were present in northern England at that time.

In the 13th century, the GELL name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273 by the English government to determine landholdings and taxation. This suggests that the surname had spread to other parts of the country by that point.

One notable early bearer of the GELL surname was Sir John Gell (1593-1671), an English politician and military leader who fought for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. He served as a colonel in the army and was later made a baronet by Oliver Cromwell in recognition of his service.

Another historically significant individual with the GELL surname was Thomas Gell (c. 1590-1670), an English barrister and judge who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas during the Commonwealth period under Cromwell's government.

In the 18th century, Sir Philip Gell (1775-1842) was a prominent English lawyer and antiquarian who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries, and authored several works on archaeology and local history.

The GELL surname can also be traced to various place names in England, such as Gellfield in Cumbria, Gelligron in Denbighshire, and Gelliswick in Pembrokeshire, among others. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.

Throughout history, several variations in the spelling of the GELL surname have been recorded, including Gelle, Gille, Gyll, and Gill, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional dialects of the English language over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gell

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

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

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

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