2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gotel
A surname derived from the Old French term "goustel," meaning an inn or hostel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Gotel. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gotel 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Gotel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gotel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gotel
The surname Gotel has its origins in the Brittany region of northwestern France. It is believed to have derived from the Old Breton word "godel," meaning "watchman" or "guard." This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a guard or watchman, possibly at a castle or other fortified location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gotel dates back to the 12th century, appearing in a medieval manuscript from the Abbey of Saint-Michel in Brittany. In this document, a certain "Guillelmus Gotel" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
The name Gotel is also found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and tax assessments compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have been present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Gotel underwent various spelling variations, such as Gotel, Gotell, and Gottell. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.
One notable figure in history with the surname Gotel was Jean Gotel (c. 1470-1533), a French architect and engineer who was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Tour de Bois, a defensive tower that was part of the city's fortifications.
Another individual of note was Gilles Gotel (1572-1626), a French Catholic priest and theologian who served as the rector of the University of Paris. He was a prominent figure in the religious and intellectual circles of his time.
In the 17th century, Pierre Gotel (1619-1693) was a French lawyer and magistrate who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris, one of the highest courts of justice in the kingdom.
During the 18th century, Jacques Gotel (1702-1771) was a French architect and urban planner who worked on several important projects in Paris, including the redesign of the Place Vendôme and the construction of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).
In more recent times, Henri Gotel (1885-1961) was a French politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, representing the Socialist Party.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Gotel has a rich history spanning centuries, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gotel
Among Census respondents with the surname Gotel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gotel 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 Gotel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American73.7% · 84
- White17.5% · 20
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gotel
Gotel 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,338 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 Gotel 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 | #140,157 | #146,495 | -4.5% |
| Count | 119 | 114 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gotel bearers went from 119 to 114 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #146,495.
FAQ
Gotel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gotel?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Gotel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Gotel?
Gotel ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Gotel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Gotel.
Has Gotel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gotel went from 119 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Gotel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gotel, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gotel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.7% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gotel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (73.7%), White (17.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Gotel (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 Gotel mean?
A surname derived from the Old French term "goustel," meaning an inn or hostel. 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 Gotel (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 people are called Gotel?
Want to know how many people are called Gotel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.