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

Gunnell, 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 Gunnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gunnell in America

Gunnell is the 13383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gunnell surname appeared 2,276 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 Gunnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gunnell 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 Gunnell

The surname Gunnell is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "gunnan" meaning "to fight" and "hyll" meaning "hill." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a hill associated with battles or military activity.

Gunnell is an ancient surname that can be traced back to the 11th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a person named Gunhilda, whose name likely shares a similar root as Gunnell.

During the medieval period, the name Gunnell was most commonly found in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire in the English Midlands. It is possible that the name originated in these areas, as several places in these counties bear names derived from similar Old English words, such as Gunhill and Gunnills.

Notable individuals with the surname Gunnell throughout history include Sir Roger Gunnell (c. 1535-1618), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another important figure was John Gunnell (1784-1856), a British architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Royal Mint.

In the 19th century, William Gunnell (1811-1894) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Gloucestershire, known for his contributions to the local community. His son, Henry Gunnell (1843-1922), followed in his footsteps and became a respected industrialist and civic leader in the same region.

More recently, Derek Gunnell (1933-2016) was a renowned English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and the England national team in the 1950s and 1960s. He was widely regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of his era.

Throughout its long history, the surname Gunnell has been subject to various spelling variations, including Gunnill, Gunnells, and Gunnel. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained largely unchanged, reflecting its deep roots in the English language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gunnell

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

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

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

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