Getchell last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Getchell

Derived from a place name meaning "get chalk," referring to a chalk-mining area in England.

Getchell, 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 Getchell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Getchell in America

Getchell is the 12208th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Getchell surname appeared 2,551 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Getchell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Getchell 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 12208 12009 1.64%
Count 2,551 2,387 6.64%
Proportion per 100k 0.86 0.88 -2.30%

The history of the last name Getchell

The surname Getchell is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a variant of the name Getchel, which is derived from the Old English personal name Gaecyl, meaning "a young cuckoo."

The earliest known record of the name Getchell can be found in the Gloucestershire Pipe Rolls of 1271, where it is spelled as "Gecchel." This document refers to a person named William Gecchel, who was a landowner in the county.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various other historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it is written as "Gechel." This suggests that the name was present in different regions of England during this time period.

The surname Getchell has also been associated with certain place names in England, particularly in the county of Somerset. For instance, the village of Getchell, located near the town of Taunton, is believed to have derived its name from the surname itself.

One notable individual bearing the surname Getchell was Sir John Getchell (1560-1635), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1615. He was a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers and played a significant role in the economic development of the city.

Another historical figure with the surname Getchell was Thomas Getchell (1628-1689), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-17th century. He served as the pastor of the First Church of Christ in Salisbury, Massachusetts, and was known for his influential sermons and writings.

In the 18th century, the name Getchell appears in various parish records across England, indicating its continued presence in various regions. For example, the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, Somerset, mention several individuals with the surname Getchell during this period.

One notable 18th-century figure was Samuel Getchell (1730-1802), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He fought alongside the British forces and was eventually captured by the Continental Army during the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

In the 19th century, the surname Getchell continued to be found in various parts of England, as well as in other countries where English settlers had migrated, such as the United States and Canada. One notable individual from this period was William Getchell (1810-1885), an American entrepreneur and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of textile manufacturing.

Overall, the surname Getchell has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, with its roots likely stemming from an Old English personal name. While the name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, it has persisted and been carried by individuals across different regions and professions, leaving a lasting mark on the historical record.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Getchell

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

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 Getchell was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.83% 2,368
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.63% 16
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.06% 27
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.86% 22
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.31% 59
Hispanic Origin 2.31% 59

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 Getchell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.83% 95.39% -2.72%
Black 0.63% 0.67% -6.15%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.06% 0.63% 50.89%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.86% 0.59% 37.24%
Two or More Races 2.31% 1.42% 47.72%
Hispanic 2.31% 1.30% 55.96%

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

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

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"Getchell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/getchell-surname-popularity/.

"Getchell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/getchell-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Getchell last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/getchell-surname-popularity/.

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