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

Hempel, 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 Hempel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hempel in America

Hempel is the 11216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hempel surname appeared 2,819 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 Hempel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hempel 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 Hempel

The surname Hempel originated in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "hempil," which means "small field" or "small plot of land." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived or worked on a small piece of agricultural land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hempel can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Silesia, and Brandenburg. In the 15th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Hempel in historical records, such as local tax registers and church documents.

One notable figure with the surname Hempel was Johann Hempel, a German composer and organist who lived from 1567 to 1642. He was known for his contributions to sacred music during the Renaissance period. Another individual of historical significance was Carl Gustav Hempel, a German-American philosopher and logician who lived from 1905 to 1997 and made significant contributions to the philosophy of science and logic.

In the 18th century, the Hempel surname appeared in various place names across Germany, such as Hempelmühle (Hempel's Mill) and Hempelhof (Hempel's Farm). These place names likely originated from the presence of individuals with the surname Hempel in those respective localities.

Johann Wilhelm Hempel, a German botanist and pharmacist who lived from 1724 to 1804, was another notable figure with this surname. He made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants and their properties.

Another individual worth mentioning is Walter Hempel, a German rower who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and won a silver medal in the men's coxed fours event.

While the surname Hempel has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain closely tied to its German heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hempel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!