2000
#12,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Heckel
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "hecken," meaning "to make hooks or racks."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,288 Americans carry the last name Heckel. That puts it at #14,416 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,805 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heckel 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 149,805
Census rank
#14,416
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,995 bearers of the surname Heckel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14416th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heckel
The surname HECKEL has its origins in the German language, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "heckel," which referred to a hooked implement used in weaving, particularly in the textile industry. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with weavers or those involved in textile-related professions.
The earliest known recorded instances of the name HECKEL can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in present-day Germany. It is likely that the name emerged as a occupational surname, given to individuals who worked with the "heckel" tool or were involved in weaving activities.
One of the earliest documented references to the name HECKEL can be found in the town records of Nuremberg from the year 1322, where a certain Hans Heckel is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name HECKEL appeared in various historical records, such as the Würzburg Episcopal Register of 1437, which mentioned a Johann Heckel. Another notable individual from this period was Peter Heckel, a renowned German painter and engraver who lived between 1460 and 1534.
As the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it underwent various spelling variations, including Heckel, Heckell, Heckle, and Heckele. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.
One of the most famous individuals bearing the HECKEL surname was Johann Heckel (1673-1737), a German organ builder from Nuremberg. His work had a significant impact on the development of organ construction in the 18th century.
Another notable figure was Johann Jakob Heckel (1790-1857), a German naturalist and entomologist known for his contributions to the study of insects. He described numerous new species and published several influential works on entomology.
In the 19th century, Johann Nepomuk Heckel (1799-1857) was a prominent Austrian botanist and ichthyologist. He made significant contributions to the study of fish and participated in several scientific expeditions to explore the natural history of various regions.
The HECKEL surname also gained recognition in the realm of music with the birth of Ernst Heckel (1834-1899), a German instrument maker who founded the company that bears his name. His innovations in the design and construction of oboes and bassoons had a lasting impact on the development of these woodwind instruments.
Finally, one cannot overlook the legacy of Wilhelm Heckel (1856-1909), a renowned German sculptor and medalist. His works adorned numerous public buildings and monuments, earning him widespread acclaim during his lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heckel
Among Census respondents with the surname Heckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Heckel 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 Heckel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,847
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 64
- Two or more races3.1% · 62
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heckel
Heckel 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
#12,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,378
+210 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 40 places
2020
#14,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,995
-383 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,489 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,967 | 2,168 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,927 | 2,378 | 0.81 | +210 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 40 places |
| 2020 | #14,416 | 1,995 | 0.67 | -383 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 1,489 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 Heckel 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 | #12,927 | #14,416 | -11.5% |
| Count | 2,378 | 1,995 | -16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.67 | -17.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heckel bearers went from 2,378 to 1,995 (-16.1% change). The surname moved down 1,489 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,927 to #14,416.
FAQ
Heckel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heckel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,288 living Americans carry the surname Heckel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,805 residents.
How common is Heckel?
Heckel ranks #14,416 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,995 people with the surname Heckel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,288), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Heckel.
Has Heckel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heckel went from 2,378 recorded bearers to 1,995. That is a decrease of 383 (-16.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,927 to #14,416.
What does the Census say about the background of Heckel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Heckel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,847 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heckel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Heckel (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 Heckel mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "hecken," meaning "to make hooks or racks." 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 Heckel (0.67 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 Americans have the surname Heckel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.