2000
#16,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,607
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Guel
A French occupational surname for a servant or helper, derived from the Old French word "gueule" meaning "mouth."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,279 Americans carry the last name Guel. That puts it at #14,451 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,397 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Guel 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
2.3K
1 in 150,397
Census rank
#14,451
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,987 bearers of the surname Guel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14451st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Guel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Guel
The surname GUEL originated in France, specifically in the region of Languedoc, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "guel," which means "to watch" or "to guard." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a watchman or a guard.
In the 12th century, the name GUEL appeared in various historical records, such as the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Cluny, a collection of charters and deeds related to the Benedictine monastery of Cluny in Burgundy. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in 1198, when a certain Petrus Guel was mentioned as a witness in a land transaction.
The name GUEL was also found in the Livre des Fiefs, a medieval census book compiled in the 13th century, which listed the names of landowners and their fiefs. This suggests that some members of the GUEL family were landholders during that time period.
One notable individual bearing the surname GUEL was Jean Guel (c. 1365 - 1427), a French scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Council of Constance, a major ecclesiastical council held between 1414 and 1418. He was known for his writings on theology and canon law.
Another historical figure with the surname GUEL was Arnaud Guel (c. 1480 - 1558), a French jurist and legal scholar from the town of Montpellier. He authored several treatises on Roman law and served as a counselor in the Parlement of Toulouse, one of the highest courts in France at the time.
In the 16th century, the name GUEL was also found in the region of Provence, where it was sometimes spelled as "Guelle." One notable bearer of this variant spelling was Claude Guelle (c. 1520 - 1591), a French poet and dramatist who was part of the literary circle known as the Pléiade.
During the 17th century, the surname GUEL was present in various parts of France, including the regions of Normandy and Brittany. One individual of note was Pierre Guel (1618 - 1699), a French priest and author who wrote several religious texts and served as a parish priest in the town of Dieppe.
Throughout history, the surname GUEL has been associated with various professions and social classes, from scholars and lawyers to landowners and clergy members. While its exact origins may be obscure, the name has left its mark on the historical records of France and beyond, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Guel
Among Census respondents with the surname Guel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Guel 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 Guel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.2% · 1,812
- White7.0% · 139
- Black or African American1.0% · 20
- Two or more races0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Guel
Guel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,192
+585 bearers (+36.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 2,676 places
2020
#14,451
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,987
-205 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 656 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,471 | 1,607 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,795 | 2,192 | 0.74 | +585 bearers (+36.4%) | Up 2,676 places |
| 2020 | #14,451 | 1,987 | 0.66 | -205 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 656 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 Guel 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 | #13,795 | #14,451 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,192 | 1,987 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.66 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Guel bearers went from 2,192 to 1,987 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 656 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,795 to #14,451.
FAQ
Guel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Guel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,279 living Americans carry the surname Guel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,397 residents.
How common is Guel?
Guel ranks #14,451 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,987 people with the surname Guel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,279), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Guel.
Has Guel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Guel went from 2,192 recorded bearers to 1,987. That is a decrease of 205 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,795 to #14,451.
What does the Census say about the background of Guel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Guel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Guel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (1,812 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Guel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.2%), White (7.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Guel (2000, 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 Guel mean?
A French occupational surname for a servant or helper, derived from the Old French word "gueule" meaning "mouth." 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 Guel (0.66 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 Guel?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Guel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.