2000
#4,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,234
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.68
Rare Last name
Hazel
From a place name derived from the hazelnut tree or a nickname for someone with hazel-colored eyes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,169 Americans carry the last name Hazel. That puts it at #4,812 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hazel 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hazel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,958
Census rank
#4,812
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,124 bearers of the surname Hazel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4812th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hazel, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hazel
The surname "HAZEL" has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hæsel," which refers to the hazel tree or hazel bush. This name was likely given as a surname to individuals who lived near a prominent hazel tree or hazel grove.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "HAZEL" can be found in documents from the 13th century. One notable example is the mention of a William Hasel in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a John Hasell is listed.
Some variations of the spelling include Hasell, Heasel, and Heasill, which can be found in medieval records from different regions of England. Interestingly, the surname "HAZEL" may have also been influenced by the French word "noiselle," meaning "hazelnut," indicating a possible connection with immigrants from France.
The surname "HAZEL" is also associated with various place names in England, such as Hazelwood, Hazelbury, and Hazelgrove, which further reinforces its connection to the hazel tree or hazel bushes in the area.
One notable individual with the surname "HAZEL" was Sir Edward Hazel (1530-1589), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was John Hazel (1585-1651), an English Puritan clergyman and author.
In the 18th century, William Hazel (1722-1770) was a renowned English painter known for his portraits and landscapes. During the same period, Henry Hazel (1745-1818) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in Bath and Bristol.
Another individual with the surname "HAZEL" was William Hazel Jr. (1788-1862), an English civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, one of the earliest public railways in the world.
While the surname "HAZEL" has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable individuals bearing this name in different countries and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hazel
Among Census respondents with the surname Hazel, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hazel 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 Hazel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.7% · 4,749
- Black or African American24.0% · 1,709
- Two or more races4.5% · 320
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 267
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hazel
Hazel 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
#4,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,711
+477 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 87 places
2020
#4,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,124
-587 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,513 | 7,234 | 2.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,600 | 7,711 | 2.61 | +477 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 87 places |
| 2020 | #4,812 | 7,124 | 2.38 | -587 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 212 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 Hazel 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 | #4,600 | #4,812 | -4.6% |
| Count | 7,711 | 7,124 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.61 | 2.38 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hazel bearers went from 7,711 to 7,124 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 212 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,600 to #4,812.
FAQ
Hazel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hazel?
Name Census estimates that about 8,169 living Americans carry the surname Hazel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,958 residents.
How common is Hazel?
Hazel ranks #4,812 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,124 people with the surname Hazel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hazel.
Has Hazel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hazel went from 7,711 recorded bearers to 7,124. That is a decrease of 587 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,600 to #4,812.
What does the Census say about the background of Hazel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hazel, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hazel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.7% (4,749 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hazel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.7%), Black (24.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hazel (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 Hazel mean?
From a place name derived from the hazelnut tree or a nickname for someone with hazel-colored eyes. 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 Hazel (2.38 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 share the surname Hazel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.